Think of it as a more stylish flea market with live music. And food trucks. And bourbon. This weekend’s NorthernGRADE event at aVenue in downtown Nashville not only provides one-stop shopping from some of the best craftspeople in Music City — including Otis James, Billy Reid, Imogene + Willie, Emil Erwin and Cause and Effect — but also a high-quality sampling of artisan goods from around the country, all under the same roof.

The men’s pop-up shop, featuring 100 percent American-made goods, is the brainchild of Katherine and Mac McMillan, who moved from New York to Minneapolis a few years ago. Or as Katherine says, about the same time as the “heritage movement” was underway. “That whole, guys in SoHo wearing Red Wing boots, movement. There was an urban woodsman thing happening in Brooklyn too.”

Trends are fleeting, but this one – steeped in pride and tradition – combined with the lessons in frugality our country received during the Recession, produced some lasting impressions we can all be thankful for: cherishing American craftsmanship and the rediscovery of clothes that stand the test of time.

“I think it’s changed now to be less about the urban lumberjack vibe and more the smart American consumer who wants to buy something that’s going to last,” Katherine says. “People got smart about how to spend their money. Men are savvy shoppers now. They know if they buy something, they want to feel good about where it came from, No. 1, and No. 2, they want to know it will last them a long time.”

When Katherine and Mac responded to this desire by creating NorthernGRADE, the reception was overwhelming. The first event in 2009 in a redeveloped warehouse district in Minneapolis drew 1,500 people, and the crowds have only grown as the McMillans have taken the show on the road – making its debut in the South this weekend.

“We always start with the local brands, and we fill up at least half locally,” Katherine says. But NorthernGRADE Nashville will also be a great opportunity to browse the offerings of other American brands like Chicago’s Drift Eyewear (which specializes in eco-friendly hardwood frames), Red Wing Heritage, Detroit’s Shinola (watches, bicycles, leather goods, and journals), Iowa’s Antique Archaeology (collectibles), Orlando’s Hellbrand Leatherworks and Virginia’s Ruell and Ray Denim.

“The brands we work with are all makers. They are hands-on with everything they do,” Katherine says. “It’s about quality and people manufacturing where they design. These products going to look better in 10-15 years than when you bought them, especially the denim.”

NorthernGRADE, taking place Sunday, May 5 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., will also have drinks, food and live music from Midnight in Memphis.

One step into Rhett Boyd’s surf shop in Charleston, South Carolina, and you might feel confused. His surf shop doesn’t carry Billabong, Roxy or Quiksilver. And forget beach music; Rhett prefers rock and roll. He’s an owner who meets customers at the door, and rather than offering a lackadaisical “s’up,” Rhett offers a glass of bourbon or a cigar. Or both. It’s clear that in the world of surf retailers, Rhett’s gone rogue.

“This is a fusion of what I knew growing up and the idyllic Southern California surfer experience,” says Rhett, amid his storefront, which looks more like an antique collector’s apartment than a surf shop.

The walls are lined with surf gear, wax and a myriad of other well-placed, less-expected curiosities: leather oxford shoes, mounted taxidermy, vintage thermoses, American flags, metal military trunks, skateboards. In addition to made-to-order surfboards, Rogue Wave Surf Shop features American-made clothing and goods sourced from folks like Imogene + Willie, W Durable Goods and BillyKirk. All together, the small store and their online shop is a conglomeration of Southern and surfer culture, and it’s making waves of its own.

After two years in Charleston’s Elliotborough neighborhood, Rhett hopes to bring his passion to a new generation of surfers. Rhett says surfing is a sport of “the educated gentleman,” citing past surf gurus, like Alexander Hume Ford and his friend Jack London, who in the early 1900s helped revive the pastime of Hawaiian kings. “No two waves are alike,” Rhett says, “and that’s what makes it addicting and maddening. It’s the ultimate natural drug.”

His own addiction started at age 10 when his mother brought home a vintage surfboard for him to try. He’s been hooked ever since, following waves from the East and West Coast, to Costa Rica for several short stints of surfing and selling real estate. But a dwindling market and a growing family brought Rhett back to Charleston. After a year of popping up around town, Rogue Wave Surf Shop finally opened a brick-and-mortar location in 2010 with the philosophy to serve all.

“You can take the wealthiest man on earth and put him on a surfboard for the first time, and he’s a fumbling idiot,” he says. “You can’t buy your way through it. It’s truly a level playing field, and nothing can replace time on the water.”

Now, Rhett is excited about Rogue Wave’s next move. He is shuttering their original location and opening a fixed pop-up shop at J. Lin Snider on King Street in preparation for their new storefront in Mount Pleasant, to open in August 2013.

But even if we aren’t in Charleston, we can all get a little taste of the Rogue experience with their online shop. Whether online or in store, Rhett knows his surf shop will continue to spread the gospel of his favorite kind of waves: rogue waves — the ones that challenge, confuse and take us by surprise.