For the past month craft lovers have been logging on to the American Craft Week website to choose their favorite place to enjoy a vibrant craft scene.
With more than 17,000 votes tallied, the contest closed Sunday, April 16th at midnight. The top vote getter in the nationwide poll turned out to be Seagrove, N.C. The small town (population 228) is considered the “Handmade Pottery Capital of the United States.” Seagrove garnered just over 33% of all the votes cast.
“Congratulations to Seagrove, said American Craft Week co-chair, Diane Sulg. “The potters there did a tremendous job publicizing the contest and urging folks to vote for them. Even more impressive, the town was not on the initial ballot, but after an early number of write-in votes, they were added to the ballot and their tally just kept growing.”
In all, ten U.S. places were named as the Top Ten Towns for Craft Lovers. Here is the complete list of winners:
1. Seagrove, North Carolina
2. Gatlinburg, Tennessee
3. Berea, Kentucky
4. Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania
5. Asheville, North Carolina
6. Brattleboro, Vermont
7. Blue Ridge, Georgia
8. Bedford, Virginia
9. Door County, Wisconsin
10. Gloucester, Massachusetts
“We congratulate all the winners and hope they use their designation to attract more visitors. Cultural tourism is on the rise across the country as people seek out interesting, creative destinations,” said Sulg.