LET'S GET CRAFTY IN FLAGSTAFF, AZ
October 11-14, 2026
Be creative. Meet your people. Fall in love with Flagstaff.
- Crisp mountain mornings. Golden aspens.
- Getting your hands dirty with clay.
- Trying a craft you’ve never tried before.
- Meeting the artists and makers who call Flagstaff home.
- Wandering into independent shops and finding something you can’t leave without.
- Long lunches with new friends.
- Putting down your phone and making something just because it sounds fun.
- Sitting next to someone you just met and realizing you have a lot to talk about.
- S’mores under the stars.
- Coming home with things you made yourself, things you found along the way… and a few new people in your phone you’re already making plans to see again.
Bigger than a retreat. Not quite a conference.
I’m taking a small group, some faces you know, some you don’t yet, for the first of these trips I’m putting together. And I’d love it if you joined me.
Our first stop: Flagstaff!
See, here’s the thing. I love to travel. But not just any kind of travel. I like to really get to know a place, get in with the artists and the small businesses, get into what makes it unique and cool and a little weird.
And I love planning events, but only the kind where you walk in solo and walk out with people.
So I married those two things and built this. *gestures wildly*
We’ll stay in a super cute vibey hotel, make stuff with our hands, and spend time with the people making Flagstaff what it is. Ceramic artists. Coffee roasters. Small business owners. Bakers. Makers. The people whose fingerprints are all over this town. We’ll shop their stores, hear their stories, and experience Flagstaff through the people who call it home. Somewhere along the way, we’ll probably trade numbers with someone we met just a few days earlier.
Sound like your type of vacation? Keep reading.
Why Flagstaff?
Because I went, and knew almost instantly this was it: the place to kick off this whole new chapter.
But it wasn’t just the mountains or the pine trees or the stars, though it’s got all of that too. It’s the town itself. Walkable streets lined with flowers, boutique shops instead of strip malls, live music spilling out of bars on a random Tuesday. First Friday art walks run all summer, the whole downtown turns into one big open gallery. Restaurants cooking with stuff grown an hour away, not flown in from somewhere else.
That’s the version of Flagstaff I want you to experience. Not just the places, but the people behind them. The artists opening their studios. The shop owners who know every item on their shelves. The baker who’s been perfecting the same recipe for years. The coffee roaster who can tell you exactly where your morning cup came from.
Even the mountain doesn’t shut down when the snow melts. It just becomes a different kind of mountain, gondola rides instead of ski lifts, hiking instead of powder. Flagstaff doesn’t wait for one season to be worth showing up for. Flagstaff doesn’t chase the next new thing. It simply knows who it is. Plants its feet. Lives in the moment instead of chasing the next one.
And I kinda love that.
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Workshops and Activities
The itinerary is built for you – all you have to do is show up. We’ll create with local artists, explore Flagstaff through the people who call it home, eat well, laugh a lot, and leave with stories to tell. Here are a few of the workshops and creative activities we have planned.
Pottery
Get your hands dirty and play with clay in a hands-on pottery workshop hosted by The Clay Center, a local Flagstaff ceramics studio. You’ll learn the basics, try something new, and create a piece of your own. No experience needed, just come ready to get a little messy and have some fun.
Watercolor on Wood
Explore watercolor in a whole new way with Meadowlark Studio, a local Flagstaff art studio. Using the natural woodgrain as inspiration, you’ll learn a few watercolor techniques before creating your own one-of-a-kind piece on wood. No experience needed. Just bring your curiosity and see where the woodgrain takes you.
Cross-Stitch Basics
Learn the basics of cross-stitch with local artist and sewist Faye Weiss while creating your own cross-stitched trinket box. You’ll learn the stitches and techniques you need to complete your design, then leave with a handmade little spot to stash your favorite tiny treasures.
Moss Wall Art
Get a little mossy with Plantae during a hands-on moss wall art workshop at Drinking Horn Meadery. Using preserved moss, natural elements, and botanical treasures, you’ll design your own one-of-a-kind piece of the forest to take home. No green thumb required.
Ready to sign up for 3 crafty days in Flagstaff?
Where We're Staying
INTRODUCING… HIGH COUNTRY MOTOR LODGE
Y’all. This hotel has serious “quirky small-town motel empire” energy, IYKYK. And you better believe that’s why I picked it.
Well, that and the great pool, vibey bar and game room, delicious food, and SUPER comfy bed. I wanted somewhere we’d actually want to hang out together after dinner. Not just a place to sleep.
I locked in a rate for a select number of rooms for our group at $119/night**. Want more time in Flagstaff? This rate’s good for three extra nights, before or after.
**This rate does not include tax, though. Bummer.
Photos via High Country Motor Lodge
1000 Route 66 | Flagstaff, AZ
Who is this for?
This trip is for you if…
✓ You’d rather shop at a local bookstore than a mall.
✓ You always peek into the pottery shop.
✓ You collect experiences more than souvenirs.
✓ You love traveling with curious people.
✓ You believe the best restaurants usually aren’t chains.
✓ You come home from vacation inspired.
Still on the fence? Want to know about future retreats?
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Travel Information
Getting to Flagstaff – You’ve got two options:
- Fly directly into Flagstaff (FLG) and take a short lyft/uber ride to High Country Motor Lodge
- Fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) and take a 2-hour shuttle to Flagstaff*
*I know this one sounds a lot less fun but I have secured a group rate for a shuttle so if enough of you are taking this option, we can have a private shuttle all to ourselves. More details in the add-ons section below.
Let's Get You Registered!
General Admission
$895
Includes: Opening reception, (3) breakfasts, gift bag, all creative sessions and supplies & evening activities.
A La Carte Registration
$Varies
Purchase tickets to individual activities. For Flagstaff residents.
FAQs
Attendees must be 21+. Because adult humor, dranks, etc. Past that? Pretty much anyone. Artists who sell their work for a living, and people who haven’t touched a paintbrush since third grade. Solo travelers who want to feel safe in a crowd. Girls’ trips, mother-daughter trips, somebody celebrating a birthday, or just finally doing something for themselves. If any part of that sounds like you, come sit with us. This is where you’ll find your people.
Girl, please. That’s not what this is about. Sure, we’ll make stuff, badly or beautifully, it really doesn’t matter which. But every activity is beginner friendly. No experience, no talent, no portfolio required. Half the room will be figuring it out in real time right next to you, and having the time of their life anyway. The making is the point. Working with the local artists who actually make Flagstaff what it is, that’s the point. And doing it anyway, even if you’ve never touched a paintbrush, that’s the point too.
🏺 Hands-On Pottery
🎨 Watercolor on Wood
🧵 Cross-Stitch Basics
🌿 Moss Wall Art
…just to name a few!
Evening activities are being nailed down but if it’s up to me, (and lucky for us, it is) there will be a drag queen involved in some way or another.
No matter what, leave the planning to me. You just show up!
Nope! All attendees will participate in the same activities. No need to register in advance.
Everything at the hotel – breakfast, creative socials, evening hangs – happens together as one group.
Our off-site workshops are small by nature, so for those, we will break up into smaller groups and rotate, which usually makes for a better time with the artist anyway.
Either way, everyone gets the same activities, nobody’s picking favorites or racing for a spot.
General Admission – $895: Payment plans available (through August 31, 2026). Deposit required at registration. Remaining balance due by August 31, 2026.
Fair question!
- Opening reception with small plates and drink tickets.
- Breakfast every morning.
- Full itinerary of activities.
- All workshop fees and supplies.
- Gift bag chock full of cool, local goodies.
- Discounts and promotions at local spots with your name badge.
- Bragging rights that you came on the coolest vacation ever with a bunch of friends and strangers and supported local artists and businesses along the way.
A few things worth knowing upfront:
- I’ve negotiated a discounted rate but attendees will book and pay for their own accommodations.
- The Sedona day trip is its own add-on too, extra fee, extra info coming your way if you opted in.
- Need a ride from the Phoenix airport? That’s a separate add-on as well, based on interest, more details in a separate email.
The day trip to Sedona is an optional add-on for anyone who wants to extend their stay. After breakfast on October 14th, the Sedona crew heads out for the day: about a 45-minute drive to wander Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, a trolley tour, maybe a wine tasting. I’m also working with the Sedona Arts Center for a creative activity we can participate in together.
Round trip transportation and any additional fees for activities will be included. An additional night’s stay will be required (not included). Pricing’s coming soon, join the mailing list and you’ll be the first to know when it’s live.
Every teacher and workshop I book comes from real, on-the-ground research in that destination, not an open call for applications. If you’re a local artist, maker, or business owner in a city where I’ve got an upcoming retreat, and you’d like to be considered, email me. I’m always looking.
Nope, no volunteer program here. These retreats are small by design, and that format just doesn’t need the kind of crew a big conference does. Any extra hands I do bring on come from the local community where we’re actually visiting.
I’m always looking for inclusive, welcoming brands who want to be part of this community of curious travelers and creatives. If your company or organization feels like a genuine fit for what I’m building, I’d love to hear from you. Email me katie (at) katiemacpresents (dot) com and let’s talk about what that could look like.
Email me katie (at) katiemacpresents (dot) com. I read every single one and will reply back personally.