Milwaukee will play host to its 15th Bead&Button Show next week, drawing about 13,000 attendees from around the world to the area.
The Bead&Button Show, hosted by Waukesha-based Kalmbach Publishing Co. will be held from June 1 to 7 at the Wisconsin Center downtown. The show, one of Milwaukee’s largest annual consumer shows, has an estimated economic impact of $1.7 million.
More than 800 classes and workshops will be offered, from beginner to advanced levels, on topics including: beading, jewelry-making, wirework, metalwork, metal clay, polymer clay and glass bead-making.
An Artisan Jewelry Marketplace runs from June 5 to 7, at which jewelers and artisans network and vendors sell finished jewelry, beads, gemstones and accessories.
The marketplace is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Entry vouchers can be printed at www.shopbeadshow.com or picked up from the box office.
Bead Artists Against Breast Cancer, a silent and live auction of beads, jewelry, books and supplies, will also be held during the event to raise money for breast cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
