Exceptional, diverse artisans from around New England return to the scenic hills of Harvard, Massachusetts for one weekend only! The annual Fruitlands Craft Festival takes place on September 19 and 20, bringing together nearly 60 new and returning artisans whose creativity, skill, and passion shine through in every handcrafted piece.

From timeless traditions to fresh artistic perspectives, this year’s makers invite visitors to discover one-of-a-kind works, connect with the people behind them, and celebrate the vibrant craft community that makes the festival a beloved tradition. Before you plan your trip, Craft Festival Manager Harriet Friedrich highlights a few of the attending vendors to give you a preview of what to expect…

New Artisans

Elisabethan

Elisabeth Delahaunty, originally a MA native, started “Elisabethan” in 1996 from a love of fashion & patterns using mostly vintage fabrics. Shopping in thrift stores and sourcing raw materials has led her to an awareness of how much unwanted secondhand clothing exists. She saw a NEED to work with this potential resource, and for over 20 years Elisabeth has been committed to making clothing and accessories entirely from reclaimed fabrics.

She lived for 25 years in rural western Colorado, an adventure that included a studio with a team of 3-6 employees, a retail store, selling her work to boutiques and shops around the United States, including thousands of miles on the road to juried art fairs. She returned to Massachusetts in 2023 and opened her studio in 2025. (A bit of a culture shock, she said, even for a MA native!)

Elisabeth still uses secondhand cotton t-shirts, cashmere & wool sweaters as “yardage” and designs and makes all of her patterns. She strives for playful, well-fitting combinations through piecing, applique, & dyeing. She loves color play and hates waste. Recycling is central to her work – and inspiration!

She is a “cat person” taking in strays, enjoys walks and bobbing in the ocean. A favorite Trustees property is the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, which she LOVES! Also, the World’s End, which she thinks is well named!

Ela Jay Handbags

Ela Onges is the owner and designer of Ela Jay Handbags, a Massachusetts-based business creating handcrafted handbags from recycled plastic fence and nylon cord. After founding Colonial House Day Spa in Easton in 1988, Ela started a new venture adapting an unusual weaving technique that transformed recycled plastic fence into colorful, durable handbags. What began as a single handbag quickly became a passion and eventually grew into Ela Jay Handbags, where every piece is still handcrafted by Ela from start to finish.

One of Ela’s favorite parts of exhibiting at art festivals is watching people’s reactions when they discover what her handbags are made from. Visitors often spend several minutes examining a bag before asking, “Wait… did you say this is made from fence?” Seeing that moment of surprise never gets old.

Ela lives in Easton, Massachusetts, with her husband Dan and their dog Lexi. One of her favorite Trustees properties is the Governor Ames Estate, located just a mile from her home, where she and Lexi enjoy regular walks and runs through the beautiful grounds.

Returning Artisans

Little Cat Metals

Little Cat Metals constitute the formidable team of Carol and Dana from Western Massachusetts. They create original jewelry made from American recycled sterling silver and gold using ethically sourced stones to minimize the environmental impact. All their original designs are handcrafted without any molds or templates. Carol uses semi-precious and precious stones, which she frames as small landscape paintings telling a story. Her style is inimitable!

Carol is the founder, lead artisan designer, and metalsmith. She was classically trained at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her designs are also beautifully lightweight, durable, and easy to wear, while also timeless, modern, and inspired by nature.

Dana is the IT guy and apprentice metalsmith who runs the back of the house as a project leader, coordinator of shows, and travel planner. He also supports Carol’s need for hourly coffee top-ups!

Tracy Lévesque Fine Arts

Tracy Lévesque is an accomplished acrylic painter who has been exhibiting her vibrant acrylic landscape paintings nationally for over 20 years. She paints in the style of Fairytale Realism and is inspired by Mother Nature and a childhood of frolicking in the beautiful Berkshire Hills of Western Mass.

Tracy was always meant to be a painter and won her first award for a birch tree watercolor at the Norman Rockwell Museum in high school. She possesses an almost spiritual love of nature and passion for telling a story with her work, which is bold and colorful, with eye-catching texture and attention to detail.

Tracy is also an amateur naturalist, birdwatcher, day hiker, bibliophile, and tea enthusiast. Her nickname is “the birch lady” and she is a select juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen.