A Creator-Inspired Festival In The MKNG To Launch This Fall At Bethel Woods

The Association for Creative Industries (AFCI) is excited to announce In the MKNG, a unique festival unlike any other craft-related event in existence. People who love to create and craft will gather for the event that celebrates the art of making in its many forms on September 29-30, 2018 at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts in Bethel, New York. In the MKNG will feature new products and product sales, interactive demonstrations, arts and crafts workshops, celebrity creators, charity tents, food trucks, live music, and more.

"In the MKNG was born out of a desire to inspire creativity on a new level across people of all ages and backgrounds," said Mark Hill, President & Chief Executive Officer, AFCI. "Our research shows that participation in crafting is growing and is not exclusive to a specific gender or age. This festival will bring out the maker in all of us, encourage business for our members who provide products and services for creative consumers, and provide attendees with magical experiences that are vital to their creative expression."

The venue for In the MKNG, Bethel Woods Center For The Arts is located 90 miles from New York City at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival. The 800-acre campus is known for hosting culturally-rich performances, popular artists, and community and educational programming.

"Bethel Woods Center For The Arts' mission to inspire, educate, and empower individuals through the arts and humanities aligns with our motivation to help individuals embrace the universal creative process. Its history and close proximity to New York City's prominent art community make Bethel Woods the perfect location for the inaugural In the MKNG creative festival," said Andria Gibbon, CEM, Vice President of Events & Education, AFCI.

Darlene Fedun, Chief Executive Officer, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts adds, "In the Mking is a wonderful and unique addition to Bethel Woods' festival season. Sullivan County has an incredible community of artisans and crafters who will enjoy the experience. It will also introduce new guests from across the region to our county and Bethel Woods. We are excited to host the event and anticipate great success."
Retailers and suppliers of creative arts products, charities, and pet organizations can become a vendor by completing the vendor application available at www.inthemkng.com or contacting sales@inthemkng.com.

Tickets to attend will go on sale on June 1, 2018.

In the MKNG is a festival inspiring and celebrating creativity across demographics and generations. It's a gathering of creatives and the general public, including makers themselves who share and sell their work there, celebrating the art of making in its many forms. The event is organized by the Association For Creative Industries and includes live demonstrations, interactive activities, charity involvement, food, live music and a lot of fun. Inspired by the phrase "in the making," the event nods to the universal creative process - a project in development. Something with which every maker is acquainted; where the magic happens. Plus, all of us are ourselves in the making, constantly growing, learning and evolving. In the MKNG celebrates all of this. For more information about participating, visit www.inthemkng.com.

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts inspires, educates, and empowers individuals through the arts and humanities by presenting a diverse selection of culturally-rich performances, popular artists, and community and educational programming. Located 90 miles from New York City at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival in Bethel, NY, the lush 800-acre campus includes a Pavilion Stage amphitheater with seating for 15,000, an intimate 440-seat indoor Event Gallery, the award-winning Museum at Bethel Woods, and a Conservatory for arts education programming.

Through the in-depth study and exhibition of the social, political, and cultural events of the 1960s, as well as the preservation of the historic site of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, Bethel Woods educates individuals about the issues and lessons of the decade while inspiring a new generation to contribute positively to the world around them. The not-for-profit organization relies on the generous support of individuals, corporations, and foundations to develop and sustain programs that improve the quality of life in the region and beyond. For more information please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org.