Our History
A Family Tradition Since the 1960s
The history of Great American Craft Fairs began in the 1960s with Thelma Collette, an artist, promoter, and early leader in Northern Nevada’s growing arts community. What began as local art exhibitions would evolve into one of the region’s longest-running family-operated arts and crafts fair businesses, spanning more than six decades and multiple generations.
Collette was deeply involved with the Nevada Artists Association, serving as its president in 1967 and helping organize some of Reno’s earliest community art festivals. Her exhibitions at Shoppers Square and Park Lane brought together artists and craftspeople from throughout Nevada and Northern California, featuring original artwork, handmade crafts, live demonstrations, and juried competitions.
In the early 1970s, Collette expanded her efforts into the Sierra Nevada communities, including Graeagle, California, where the roots of today’s Graeagle Arts & Crafts Fair were established.
The Collette Promotions Years
In 1977, Jeff Denison took over Collette’s arts and crafts fair operations, continuing the business under the Collette Productions and Collette Promotions names. Although not related by blood, Collette considered Jeff a son, and their close relationship helped shape the family tradition that continues today.
With an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for bringing people together, Jeff expanded the company’s reach, producing arts and crafts fairs throughout Northern Nevada and into the Las Vegas area.
In 1977, Bridgette Zunino-Denison began attending the Graeagle Arts & Crafts Fair, marking the beginning of her lifelong involvement with the family business.
Under Jeff’s leadership, the company continued to grow throughout the 1980s. In 1983, he introduced the Great American Craft Fair at the Reno Convention Center, creating a major indoor festival featuring artists, craftspeople, live demonstrations, entertainment, and specialty exhibitors. The event became a popular fixture in Reno’s annual calendar and continued into the 1990s.
The Great American Craft Fair name would eventually become the identity of the entire company, replacing the original Collette Promotions name.
Continuing the Family Legacy
Following Jeff’s untimely passing in 1994, his wife, Bridgette Zunino-Denison, assumed leadership of Great American Craft Fairs. Having been involved with the events since 1978, Bridgette carried forward the traditions established by Collette and Jeff, maintaining longstanding relationships with artists and communities while guiding the company through the following decades.
For their son, Brighton Denison, the fairs were a part of life from the very beginning. Growing up among the artists, exhibitors, and bustling festival grounds, Brighton spent his childhood helping with event setup, operations, and the many responsibilities involved in producing the shows.
In 2018, Brighton took over leadership of Great American Craft Fairs, bringing a new generation of experience and ideas while continuing the family’s longstanding commitment to the arts.
More Than 60 Years of Bringing Artists and Communities Together
Today, Great American Craft Fairs continues to produce juried arts and crafts festivals in Northern Nevada and Northern California, including its longstanding events in Graeagle, Truckee, and Virginia City.
While much has changed since Collette’s first exhibitions in the 1960s, the heart of the business remains the same: providing independent artists and craftspeople with a place to showcase their work, connect with the public, and share their creativity.
From Thelma Collette’s early art shows to Jeff Denison’s expansion of Collette Promotions, Bridgette’s decades of leadership, and Brighton’s continuation of the family tradition, Great American Craft Fairs has remained dedicated to celebrating handmade craftsmanship and bringing communities together.
Over 60 years of history. Four dedicated promoters. One enduring family tradition.
