28th Annual Dunedin Craft Fest To Feature More Than 200 Artisans

DUNEDIN, FL — Here's a chance to get a big jump on your holiday season in one place.

Artists and crafters from throughout Florida and even as far as Michigan, New York and New Jersey, will be in Dunedin Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the 28th annual Downtown Dunedin Craft Festival.

This much-anticipated juried craft festival features more than 200 artisans and craftsmen offering an array of items that are perfect for giving including folk art, pottery, personalized gifts, handmade clothing, basket weaving, beaded utensils, candles, quilts, blown and stained glass, hair accessories, handbags, handmade cards, leather goods, mosaics, wood crafts, handmade jewelry and soaps.

Shoppers can stroll down Dunedin's quaint Main Street and shop to their heart's content during this pet-friendly event.

Here are some of the local artisans and artists who will be at the festival:

• Tony Carrino of Valrico owns QuickSilver JRG, featuring handcrafted jewelry created from precious and semi-precious stones that Carrino polishes himself and then sets in sterling silver in a one-of-a-kind free-form design that follows the shape of the stones.
• Viviana Bermudez of Vibelo Designs of Tampa creates unique eco-friendly jewelry from natural resources such as azaid seeds from Brazil, Royal Poinciana seeks from Colombia and tagua nuts from Ecuador and Peru.
• Diana Damiano of Sun Metal Jewelry in Wesley Chapel creates mixed metal earrings.
• Curtis Jenney of Clearwater, owner of Leaves by Jenney creates waterfalls out of hand-formed "leaf fossils" made of granite dust, silica and glass fibers, and curatives.
• Jeff Benes of Benes and Benny pet accessories in Odessa creates fashionable cloth doggie wear including collars and scarved with matching dog waste bag holders.
• Peter Lakiotis of Dunedin owns Doggieharness.com, offering a variety of quality, hand-made fabric dog accessories.
• Shawn and Jena Lytle of SunKissed Candle Company of Gulfport create scented hand-poured 100 percent soy candles.
• Beth Miranda of The Muddy Walrus Pottery in St. Petersburg creates handmade ceramics.
• Linda Simon of Linda Simon Studio of Palm Harbor creates intricate mosaic artwork.
• Michelle Mardis of Michelle Mardis Fine Art of Tarpon Springs is a fine artist and illustrator whose series of bathing beauty paintings go perfect with Florida's beach-style decor.

Click here to see some of the other crafters and artisans who will have their work for sale at the festival.