Jewelry

FRANKFORD -- The first day of the 47th annual Peters Valley Craft Fair brought many excited patrons to the Sussex County Fairgrounds on Saturday -- so many, in fact, that doors opened prior to the scheduled 10 a.m. start time.

"We had a line at 9 o'clock this morning, so it's been a really fabulous start to the weekend," Peters Valley development director Lindsay Gates said. "We had to let people come in a little bit early because there were so many people waiting out there in the hot sun."

The fair remained open until 6 p.m. Saturday and will continue today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About 150 vendors were invited to the fair this year to show off all kinds of crafts, including photography, jewelry, woodworking and henna tattoo designs. Many have years of experience in their respective fields, but Gates was impressed with some of the first-time exhibitors as well.

"I think people will be surprised at all the new talent that has come in," she said. "They're some of the best work here. It's really amazing to see what they're producing."

The fair attracted nationwide participants like the Minneapolis-based American Craft Council, a non-profit organization that helps artists across the country connect with and learn more about one another through several publications it prints each year. Michael Radyk, director of education for the council, was on the panel that selects vendors for the craft fair, so he decided to set up a booth and spread the word about his group, too.

"They asked me to be a juror for the show," Rudyk said, "and then it made sense also for us to bring the magazine and the journal and have presents and kind of promote what we do."

While many vendors travel around the country for numerous craft fairs annually, others, like Freehand Custom Carvings in Fredon, remain local. Owner and sculptor Brett McLain has come to the fairgrounds for the past three years of the event and appreciates the opportunity to display his chainsaw-carved creations to attendees, regardless of whether or not they buy them.

"Just coming out always gets a lot of excitement," McLain said. "Even if we don't move things at the event, it gets a lot of attention, puts us in people's minds, which I think is really good."

After a bright and sunny day attracted hundreds of people to the craft fair Saturday, Gates believes that similar weather today will produce another large crowd on the fair's second and final day.

"We're expecting more of the same," Gates said. "We tend to have a larger wave of people right in the beginning of the show opening and then another large wave in the afternoon. Tomorrow, we expect to have a steady crowd as well. We have so many interactive activities going on throughout the weekend that it really just keeps people rolling through."

Admission to the craft fair is $10 per person; children 12 and younger get in free. Coupons and additional event information are available at www.petersvalley.org.