Craft Show Day at Mallet State Park: Crafts, Curiosities, and Questionable Purchases

It’s that time again at Mallet State Park—Craft Fair Day, the beloved community event where talented locals gather to sell handmade goods, delicious snacks, and at least three items no one can fully explain but everyone agrees are “kind of neat.”

Visitors can expect a lively lineup of booths featuring everything from hand-poured candles and intricately crocheted blankets to wood-burned signs that say things like Live, Laugh, Lake. There will likely be homemade jams, locally harvested honey, and someone selling soap that smells faintly like cedar, pine, and ambition. The park strongly encourages you to stroll slowly, admire the craftsmanship, and pretend you absolutely needed that decorative birdhouse shaped like a tractor.

And tucked among these artisans will be a slightly different kind of vendor: a cozy mystery author (yours truly), bravely attempting to sell books in the middle of a park full of people who mostly came for kettle corn and handmade potholders.

For those unfamiliar, cozy mysteries are the literary equivalent of comfort food—small towns, curious clues, suspicious neighbors, and just enough intrigue to keep you turning pages without ruining your sleep. In my stories, Mallet State Park may appear peaceful, but the characters often find themselves entangled in secrets, motives, and even murder. Don’t worry—everything is handled politely and with minimal swearing.

At my booth, you’ll find stacks of books including Tiki Bar Trouble, Parks and Death, and Dead in the Water, along with bookmarks, friendly conversation, and the quiet hope that someone will say, “Oh, I love a good mystery.” If you stop by, you’re welcome to browse, chat about the park, or ask questions like, “Are any of the characters based on real people?” (The official answer is always no, and the unofficial answer is a shrug and a wink.)

So come out, say hello, and see what you find. You might leave with a jar of jam, a hand-knit scarf, a decorative wooden duck… or, if things go especially well, a cozy mystery or two. And if nothing else, you’ll get a pleasant walk through the park and a story about the time you almost bought a handmade squirrel-shaped candle holder.