Entrance to Bolton Landing lakeside Craft Fair[/caption]
** 2013 Craft Fair Dates:**
May 25-26, July 6-7, August 31-Sept 1, October 12-13
Antiques Fair (for the Bolton Free Library): Friday, July 26
We just had a craft fair here at Bolton Landing, set up around the trees in beautiful Rogers Park – and we are going to have another three this year: August 11-12, September 1-2, and October 6-7. Craft fairs have been around since the Middle Ages, when all manufacture was done by hand and people came together to exchange goods and products. Fairs have gained a new lease on life in recent years – they are wonderful places to find imaginative and unusual items made by artisans who value their talents and crafts. Craft Fairs are just plain fun, and almost have a county fair atmosphere: who gets the blue ribbon for the most delicious preserves, maple syrup and candy, the prettiest or most useful projects, the most beautiful hand work of all kinds – from pottery to wood carved signs, scented candles and soaps, balsam pillows, stones with imbedded lights, Adirondack chairs, furniture made out of old winter skis, hand carved paddles made to your specifications, potted plants in hand-made pots, photographs, paintings, wood art including carved and painted maps of Lake George, hand weaving, knitted items, hand-made jewelry of all kinds, hand-quilted tote bags and pot holders, screen printed T-shirts, sugar coated nuts, kettle corn, and even cold water and lemonade when you need a spot of refreshment. Things for sale at a craft fair are usually affordable, although affordable can vary: one craftsman who often shows at the Bolton Landing Craft Fairs has unique and absolutely beautiful hand-worked wooden vases – priced up to $15,000. “And he does very well,” according to our own Craft Fair goddess, Gail Street. Gail has been organizing the Bolton Landing Craft Fairs for 36 years. “It takes quite a bit of effort,” and is Gail’s gift of community service for the Bolton Landing Rescue Squad – all profits benefit the Squad (separate from the Fire Department). The proceeds help to purchase and maintain ambulances, and off-set other expenses. Some vendors have been participating in the Bolton Landing Craft Fairs for over twenty years. Vendors come in all sizes and from all over – some do Fairs for a living, some for extra income, some are retired people who enjoy traveling with a purpose, some come just for fun. Tents are set up on Friday night (Gail assigns the spaces), or early on Saturday morning. A lot of the vendors travel by car, truck, or travel trailer, some even arrive by boat. The Fairs run Saturday and Sunday from 10-4. The “community gathering” is almost like a family reunion – who’s here, where have they been, who or what is new? Besides visitors, the fairs draw many local businesses who come to see about unique products for their stores, and meet artisans who will be continuing contacts for interesting, decorative and useful items, or that “just right” one-of-a-kind gift for some special person or occasion. Drop by Rogers Park for our next craft fair and see what you can find! What do you look for at craft fairs? What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever found? Penelope Jewell]]>