WEST POINT — Downtown West Point’s year of expansion and celebrations will continue this upcoming weekend. Along with Holiday Fest on the River, the West Point Fine Arts’ Artisans Market will take place Friday through Sunday evening. 

The market will be open Friday, Nov. 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 17 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 18 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Over 25 vendors will be showing and selling their wares at the old Craftmaster Furniture building located at 803 3rd Ave., the location of WPFA’s premier exhibit earlier this year.

“The idea [for the market] came up around May, pretty much right after our first exhibit,” said WPFA founder Thea McElvy. “The other exhibit we had at El Rio Grande, that was mostly geared toward our 2D artists, but we have so many other artisans here in the Valley that don’t do that kind of thing, and it’s my hope that WPFA will service all the arts.”

McElvy said that the Artisans Market will have locally created pieces like specialty soaps, jewelry, home decor and small works arts for sale, giving those who don’t paint or draw a place to showcase and make commission off of their work.

“We just have too much talent for it not to be seen,” she said. “Even if you don’t come to buy something, it’s free to browse so come and browse.”

Although not directly affiliated, McElvy hopes that the Artisans Market will work in conjunction with Holiday Fest on the River as another outlet for people to get in the holiday spirit.

“It all pulls together to make a really great holiday event weekend,” she said. “We are trying to hit on every market, and we are trying to keep our price point at a gift-giving level so that people can afford to give something unique to anybody.”

The WPFA Artisans Market will be free and open to the public during its run, and those interested in exhibiting can still rent booth space for $35 by contacting McElvy at thea.mcelvy@gmail.com.

“We have a beautiful, beautiful downtown and it’s so nice to see it really starting to spring to life,” she said. “Any time that you drive down there you have people out and walking, and we just haven’t had that in so long. I just hope that between the Holiday Fest, the great restaurants and the market that we will be having during the evening hours, I hope it keeps that circulation of people and sense of community going.”