Over fall break, me and my family spent a day at a building titled 900 Rutter in Forty Fort, PA. As soon as you set foot inside, you’re blown away from the amount of art it holds. 900 Rutter is a 138,000 square foot factory built in 1903 that has been transformed into a vessel holding an array of interesting businesses in NEPA. The unique artworks, metal sculptures, and repurposed materials is the vision of mixed media artist David Koral, who purchased the historic property at auction in 2001, and his wife Toni C. Together they’ve brought the building back to life and made it into something magical.

We were there attending the vintage and thrift fair, which featured over twenty different vendors and artists. There were vintage clothes, jewelry, CDs, and even toys. What made the fair so unique was how the vendors blended into the building’s artistic backdrop. As you moved through the building, you were constantly surrounded by different colors and patterns stretching from the walls up to the ceilings.

In the nicest way possible, it felt like I was walking through a fun house. There were varying ceiling heights, hallway lengths, and big windows all throughout the building. Places like these are what we need more of in NEPA. It was immediately inspiring and just the thing that makes me proud to live in an area that houses a lot of artists. I would love more places like this to pop up in the area because I believe it conjures a unique, artistic crowd of people.

Overall, I had a great experience at 900 Rutter, and I definitely recommend to pay a visit. They hold events often, but even if you visit on a normal day, you can get lunch or a coffee at the Canning House or shop at one of their permanent stores.