About Us:

Family Festivals Association, Inc., founded in 1993, is an arts & crafts show promotion company owned and operated by David Stoner. Best described as a hands-on, professional promoter, Dave has utilized his education, talents and skills to successfully produce approximately 115 high-quality shows over the past 23 years.

Dave is a native of Ruffs Dale, PA, and a graduate of Southmoreland High School and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He continued on with his education and earned his master's degree in facility management from Ohio University. Prior to starting his own business, Dave was the Assistant Director of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and a national sales director for the Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau.

With more than 24 years of experience in the convention and trade show business, Dave has successfully directed events such as rib, wing and music festivals, as well as traditional, country and fine art and crafts shows. Although he truly enjoyed the opportunity to work on a variety of productions, he prefers to specialize exclusively in arts and crafts festivals. Family Festivals Association shows are held in and around Western Pennsylvania and Morgantown, West Virginia.

Dave is involved in literally every aspect of producing high quality shows. Hundreds of details are involved: sending out thousands of applications to crafters all over the country, screening craft and vendor applications, marketing and advertising the festivals, scheduling entertainment, hiring and training staff and addressing the countless lists of things to do before, during and after every festival. He is diligent in identifying potential locations for shows, selecting food vendors and choosing appropriate entertainment. Dave recognizes that every aspect of the show lends to the overall experience for visitors.

Dave is particularly attentive to developing the advertising campaigns for television and radio, which includes writing and designing print advertising. He takes great pride in having written many of the scripts for festival advertising. And he sees the fruits of his labor reflected in the large numbers of visitors at each show. Some shows have drawn as many as 30,000 visitors from all over the tri-state area.

Many of the Family Festivals Association shows have received national recognition. Sunshine Artists Magazine, the leading trade publication for arts and crafts shows, ranked four of the shows in the 'Sunshine Artists 100 Best Shows in the United States' and 'Sunshine Artists 200 Best Shows in the United States.' And, the annual Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts Christmas Festival was named the '#1 Christmas Show in Pennsylvania.'