INSIDER SHOP LOCAL
60 Years of the Delray Affair When the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Delray Affair—one of the largest arts and craft festivals in the Southeast—returns April 8-10, it will be the event’s sixtieth year. As always, attendees can expect an eclectic mix of fine art, crafts, and products along 12 city blocks in downtown Delray Beach. Below, discover five must-shop booths at this year’s affair. (delrayaffair.com)
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DIAZ CAPT GRAPHIC DESIGN, LLC
It’s hard to resist a planter with pants on, which is why The Dudes Pant Planters have been popular take-home items since the artists first started creating them after finding it hard to part with their sons’ baby clothes. Made from wood and recycled kids’ clothing and shoes, these happy home goods will bring a childlike joy to any desk or windowsill. (thedudespantplanters.com)
Must-visit vendors at this year’s Delray Affair include The Dudes Pant Planters (above), Blue Island Graphics (top right), and Bitti Bots (lower right).
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The Delray Affair has fodder for foodies, too. Fire Hiney’s chocolate hot sauce will kick any ice cream sundae up a few notches, but there’s also hot honey and plain old hot sauce if you want to keep the heat out of your chocolate treat. Founder Carole Chapuis is a passionate animal activist, and proceeds from her sauce sales benefit animal rescue organizations and animal welfare education. (firehiney.com)
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Don’t leave the Delray Affair without stopping by the merch booth hosted by LaCrosse Wear, where you can shop an assortment of shirts, towels, and posters—featuring art by Sarah Huang, who will also have her own booth—commemorating this milestone year. (lacrossewear.com)
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Florida’s never been hotter, but Mike Williams has long held the state as his muse. Creating under the banner of Blue Island Graphics, Williams designs vintage map art focused on Florida and the Caribbean. His de-
tailed depictions of days gone by blur the line between daydream and reality, setting his art apart in a category of its own. (blueislandgraphics.com)
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For those who love to tinker, Cheri Kudja’s found-object robots known as Bitti Bots are a fun collectible—the artist breathes new life into automobile, hardware, and jewelry scraps and turns them into happily jumbled little characters. Best of all, each one-of-a-kind robot is made of 95 percent upcycled materials. (bittibots.com)
PALM BEACH ILLUSTRATED
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