Local Rochester Craft Store Celebrates 50th Anniversary

ROCHESTER, NY — With more than 30,000 craft stores nationwide, Dan’s Crafts and Things continues to stand out for its fifty-year history.

“It’s for kids, big and small,” said employee Jessica Stevens. “There’s something for everyone.”

“It’s Dan’s Crafts and Things, but basically anything hobby-related you can’t find anywhere else,” said employee Tamara Kelley.

“I’ve actually been coming here since I was a little girl,” added employee Keturah Arico. “I’m just a little older than the store.”

Celebrating Rochester’s longest-running family-owned craft and hobby store, Dan’s Crafts and Things has been serving the community for five decades.

“I was born and raised to do this,” said John Donalies, vice president of Dan’s Crafts and Things. “There’s nothing more fun than having parents who own a toy store.”

Originally founded by Dan Donalies in 1974, the store continues to be family-run, passing the torch to his two sons, John and Curtis Donalies.

“When I was younger and in high school, I always had time to do my homework, and that was always the problem. You know, you’d come home from school and do some chores around the house, go straight to the store and work until the store closed. It was a great childhood,” said Curtis Donalies, president of Dan’s Crafts and Things.

Mixing work and leisure.

“We had to test everything to figure out what the right combination of products would be for our customers and really find the best products,” John said.

Celebrating their milestone alongside their staff and customers with giveaways, raffles, and even vendors who have thrived in their own careers through Dan’s Crafts and Things.

“I was just starting out and just trying to get my books out there and see if I could do it locally, I didn’t even try to go out of state or anything,” said David Kalvitis, owner of Greatest Dot-to-Dots Books. “And Dan’s was the first one to pick it up and say, ‘Yes, we’re going to carry it.’”

By connecting the dots with their own coloring page and with their longtime customers, the owners celebrate the generations of artisans who have continued to make the store a traditional destination.

“It’s a warm feeling and people, you know, I’ve been lucky enough to meet new people or whatever and Dan’s Crafts and Things comes along and then all of a sudden they’re like, ‘Oh my God, I love this store,’” Curtis said.

“It’s just about relationships,” John said. “It’s always small retailers like us who want to get to know people. It’s really about people first. And you have to make that connection.”

And while many customers and employees feel like their childhood is over, the store continues to remind them that playtime is never over.

“I have to do the math again, like, yeah, it’s 50 years,” Curtis said. “Wow. It’s wonderful that they’re celebrating with us or whatever and, you know, we’re 50 years old and we’re still doing what we’re doing and they still love coming into the store. So it’s wonderful.”