By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — It’s been speculated that there are three great autumn migrations — the birds heading south, the snowbirds who follow their avian counterparts, and thousands of eager shoppers flocking to Caribou for the annual Arts and Crafts Festival.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
There was no missing Julie’s Baskets at Caribou’s annual Fall Arts and Crafts Festival — Reggie Eugley, at left, and artisan Julie Eugley, at right, had about 325 hand-crafted baskets to help them stand out at the craft fair. The two came up from Penobscot County to participate in the craft fest.
With potholders, pottery and paintings galore, the festival has concluded another successful year; the festival was so successful that two vendors were completely sold-out in the first day of the event. While we know exactly how many vendors set up shop at the Caribou High School on Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23, (129 the first day, 127 the second day) festival coordinators can only approximate that thousands of shoppers ventured into Viking territory to purchase unique products produced by some of the best artisans in Maine.
The Arts and Crafts Festival is always a huge weekend for businesses in the Caribou area as the event draws both vendors and customers from all parts of the state and Canada, too. But it turned out it was a great weekend for vendors as well; according to Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce Director Jenny Coon, vendors were pleased with the turnout and sales were up.”
The festival was moved back a week this year, back to its time-honored fourth weekend of October slot, and Coon was very pleased with the result.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
With over 140 crafters at the city’s annual Fall Arts and Crafts Festival on Oct. 22 and 23, there was plenty for customers to see, as Laurie Ireland of Castle Hill found.
“Since we pulled the festival back a week, there are no other large shows that were competing with it in southern Maine,” she explained. Not only did that mean an increased number of customers, but also the ability to bring in the “best of the best” artisans to make the Caribou Arts and Crafts Festival one of the best shows in the state.
Attention to detail is important for the artists, who take great pains in setting up their booths for the festival.
Sharon Pickham of Sharon’s Glass Art, from Carmel, spent five hours setting up her booth. She didn’t have a single most popular item at the event, but Pickham did say that regardless of age, everyone liked her kaleidoscopes.
“Everyone remembers looking into a kaleidoscope growing up,” Pickham said. “Whether it was made of cardboard or glass, kaleidoscopes bring out the kid in everyone.”
But the event’s offerings went beyond aesthetically-pleasing interactive objects (though there were plenty of those as well) — the complete sensory experience started in the foyer where the savory scent of freshly cooked meat was wafting through the air, as vendors of the popular Caribou Farmer’s Market made an appearance indoors selling their locally grown and raised wares. Olfactory attributes aside, there were musical sounds of laughter and creativity, the tangible richness of smooth wooden bowls and felt hats rounded off with the sweetness of baked treats (and the extra sweetness of free samples).
Strangely, despite the fact that the school was filled with vendors from near and far with an equally geographically diverse customer base, the event exudes the unmistakable feeling of community and camaraderie.
It was the first time vendor Julie Eugley of Julie’s Baskets of Greenfield Twp. had been to the Caribou event, and with over 325 baskets on display, their booth was hard to miss.
“It’s a good show,” she commented on the arts and crafts event.
Vendor Carol Emery of Winterville shared Eugley’s sentiment. Artisan of Gross Brook Lane Bears and Friends, it was Emery’s second time at the festival.
“I like the event and we’ve done well here,” she said, “and the people are really nice.”
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Artisan Sharon Pinkham of Sharon’s Glass Art in Carmel had an array of items from delicate glass items to kid-friendly decorative headwear. Pinkham is shown above showing some carefully crafted kaleidoscopes to Shari Ireland of Castle Hill.
The festival’s atmosphere is something that longtime participant Amanda Bouchard is attuned with. Well known for the quintessentially Aroostook County calendars she’s been creating since 1982, she’s been on the vendor side of the festival since the event’s inception.
“It’s one of the largest economic days in Caribou,” Bouchard said, commenting on the camaraderie community members share when they come out to support the event.
And “supported” was definitely the vibe vendors picked up on, as customer after customer left the Arts and Crafts Festival with full arms and happy smiles.
“This is one of the most attended events that the chamber hosts, and it’s a community favorite,” Coon said.
Vendor booths were uniquely arranged to appealingly display their crafts and the chamber’s table was no different, minus the crafts. Instead, Coon and a group of dedicated, hardworking volunteers displayed the best that Caribou has to offer, from snowmobile trails to annual activities and maps a-plenty to help customers find the vendors they were looking for.
Year after year, people look for their favorite vendors in the crowd that they know will have the perfect holiday gifts, the sweetest treats and just the right keepsakes. But for those who may have missed the festival, getting reconnected with their favorite artisans is as quick and easy as calling Coon at the chamber.
“If there’s a certain product that was sold at our craft fair that people are interested in, I highly support our vendors and will help customers get in touch with them,” Coon said.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Musician and entertainer John Tercyak’s craft stand contained both visual and audio components, as well as impromptu bursts of music via violin or guitar. Tercyak, shown at right, was helping Sona Hallett, at left, and Brenda Shur, both of Island Falls, peruse his music during the craft fair of Sunday.
While the year’s winding down, there are many more chamber festivities around the corner, like their open house at their new Nylander Museum location and a Santa’s Workshop Celebration at the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center on Dec. 2 put on by chamber volunteers and recreation staff.
For additional information regarding upcoming events, information can be obtained by calling 498-6156.
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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet With Christmas still two months away, it wasn’t too early for Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce Director Jenny Coon, center, to be making her list and checking it twice at the city’s annual Fall Arts and Crafts Festival. |
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet A fashionable cap never felt so good as the warm hats made by artisan and locally-renowned former community editor of the Aroostook Republican and News Brenda Ketch, at left, who was helping Christina Hay of Ashland pick the perfect style on Sunday at the 38th annual Fall Arts and Crafts Festival held at the Caribou High School. “The hats are wonderful,” Hay said, “I think I’m going to buy it!” |
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet Visual impact aside, the delicate tingling of flatware-inspired wind chimes at the Gross Brook Lane Bears and Friends stand were turning heads at the Fall Arts and Crafts Fair in Caribou. Shop owner Carol Emery of Winterville, center, discussed the chimes with Anna Robertson of Caribou, at right. |
