New Year, New Hobby: Why America’s Biggest Craft Events Are Choosing Ticketbud for 2026

American Craft Made Baltimore and more of the country’s top crafting and quilting events kick off 2026 with Ticketbud, proving that clear ticketing, flexible tools, and easy onsite access matter more than ever.

^{American Craft Made Baltimore celebrates is 49th year on February 20-22, 2026 . Photo by Max Franz.}

Every January and February, quilters, makers, artists, collectors, and curious newcomers hit the road for a new year of hands-on creativity. And in 2026, America’s most anticipated craft events — American Craft Made Baltimore, Road to California Quilters Conference & Showcase, and QuiltCon — are all choosing Ticketbud to run their shows.

It’s no coincidence. Craft events have always been community-driven, multigenerational, multifaceted, and complex. They juggle retail, education, workshops, group access, VIPs, day-passes, weekend passes, newcomers, long-timers, and thousands of same-day walk-ins. They require seamless ticketing and check-in processes and demand easy-to-use attendee management and reporting tools.

Thus, organizers are choosing Ticketbud for its ability to handle complexity without hidden fees, feature add-ons, or technical barriers. And, nowhere is that clearer than at American Craft Made Baltimore.

American Craft Made Baltimore — A 49-Year Tradition Powered by Modern Ticketing Tools

Produced by the American Craft Council (ACC), American Craft Made Baltimore is one of the longest-running and most beloved craft showcases in the nation. Celebrating its 49th show, the 2026 event will welcome 400 juried artists and around 10,000 attendees to the Baltimore Convention Center for a weekend of shopping and demonstrations, February 20-22.

Now an annual tradition, attendees and artists return year-after-year. Many carry the annual event tote bag like a collector’s badge of honor.

^{Attendees sport their annual ACMB tote bags. Photo by Max Franz.}

“Using Ticketbud has given us a much clearer picture of who’s actually coming to the show and how they’re engaging with it,” says Madie Ley, Data Systems Administrator for ACC. “We can track things like who buys a weekend pass versus who comes for one day, where people are traveling from, and how many attendees are returning. All of that feeds into our CRM, which helps us understand our audiences and create an experience that keeps people coming back every year.”

Behind the scenes, ACC runs a tight, mission-driven operation. As a nonprofit, their goal is to engage as many craft appreciators as possible and provide economic opportunity to artist vendors. They need a ticketing platform that’s simple to use, cost effective, and robust enough to support a massive, multi-segment audience.

“When we were looking for an alternative to Eventbrite, we realized quickly that there are few lightweight and affordable platforms available outside of Ticketbud,” Ley says. “Other platforms were either too expensive, fragmented, or didn’t give us the level of insight we rely on. Ticketbud is all encompassing and each feature runs seamlessly with the next.”

Why American Craft Made Baltimore Chose Ticketbud

Ley explains that few ticketing platforms were as all-encompassing as Ticketbud. And even fewer offered the tools and analytics ACC needed without driving up the cost.

“There’s really no downside to just trying Ticketbud. It is extremely easy to set up and doesn't require a long-term contract,” she says. “Ticketbud truly provides the whole 360-degree experience — tickets, promotion tools, onsite tools.”

Ticketbud’s pricing and inclusive feature set mean ACC gets everything without any nickel-and-diming:

Salesforce integration that supports real audience insight and engagement
ACC treats their data seriously. With Ticketbud feeding into Salesforce, they can track their audience’s attendance and insights year after year to understand what ticket types are selling, where people are traveling from, who is returning year after year, and which promotions are drawing them in.
Promo and access codes that reflect their complex audience
From members and partners to local crafting cohorts, ACC creates and markets more than 20 promotional codes annually, managed seamlessly through the platform. This drives ticket sales and appeals to new and returning buyers through specialty discounts and promotions.
Embedded ticketing that keeps purchasers on the ACC website
No redirecting. No friction. Just a clean, branded checkout.
Onsite tools that support heavy same-day sales
A third of total ticket sales happen onsite at American Craftmade Baltimore. So Ticketbud’s mobile check-in and box office tools allow staff to process a nonstop mix of QR codes, printed tickets, membership lookups, and walk-up buyers without extensive training or bottlenecks.

With Ticketbud’s support, the 49th annual show is bound to be a success, Ley says: “We have exciting things planned for this year’s show with incredible, skilled craftsmen and artists. It will certainly be an unforgettable event and set the stage for the big 50th anniversary ahead.”

^{Attendees interact with ACMB artist vendor. Photo by Max Franz.}

Coast-to-Coast, Other Craft and Quilt Events Are Making the Same Move

QuiltCon 2026 (Raleigh, NC) — February 19–22, 2026

Hosted by the Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is billed as the largest modern quilting event in the world. It features a juried quilt show, curated vendor hall, lectures, and workshops at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Why they chose Ticketbud: Massive foot traffic, multi-generational audience, and a blend of education and retail requires crystal-clear ticket options, simple purchasing, and streamlined attendee communication (from multi-day calendar widgets and group tickets to attendee emails and event descriptions).

Road to California Quilters Conference & Showcase (Ontario, CA) — January 21-24, 2026

A beloved West Coast hub for classes, lectures, and shopping. The show touts the largest quilting vendor mall on the West Coast, a quilting contest, classes, and more.

Why they chose Ticketbud: The event welcomes attendees to choose between one day and weekend passes. Quilters range from QR-code pros to “where’s my confirmation email?” Paper and mobile need to coexist without bottlenecks.

Craft Events Want Ease, Clarity, and No Drama. Ticketbud Delivers.

From century-old guild traditions to first-time makers dipping their toes into a new hobby, attendees want the same thing: simple ticket purchases, clear communication and easy check-in. And craft organizers want tools that feel intuitive, integrate seamlessly with their operations, and produce the best buying and selling experience.

Ticketbud delivers both. You can set up flexible tickets, launch promo codes, embed checkout on your site, and create a check-in flow that keeps lines moving — all without extra fees or complicated setup.

For more ideas on how to take advantage of Ticketbud’s tools for your next craf event, check out:

Flexible Tickets for Complex Schedules: Single-day, multi-day, timed entry, group/guild rates, and workshop add-ons — built without pricing acrobatics.
Event Calendar Display: A clean, at-a-glance calendar above tickets so buyers pick the right day or session.
Promo + Access Codes: Ideal for guilds, sponsors, instructors, members, and first-time or returning attendees.
Embedded Ticketing: Keep attendees on your website while maintaining full branding and seamless checkout.
Fast, Friendly Check-In: Free mobile app with QR scanning, name search, offline tolerance, and printable lists for low-tech backup.
Onsite Box Office Tools: Sell at the door with mobile devices and card readers.
Real-Time Analytics & Salesforce Integration: Track sales, revenue, attendance behavior, geographic trends, and post-event performance with clean, exportable reporting.
Early Payouts & Financial Flexibility: Better cash flow means less stress when organizing.

Get started for free today at ticketbud.com.