2993 Craft Fair

Saturday, June 19, 2010

"It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them."
--Pierre Beaumarchais--

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I went to the Rhinebeck craft fair today. I think it was very courageous of me, given what happened the last time I went to the fairgrounds, for the antiques fair - I couldn't complete the circuit of the booths because I got so very weak, almost didn't make it back to the car, and that night I lost consciousness twice. I haven't walked any great distance since then, because, frankly, I was afraid to test me. I was afraid the same thing would happen today. If there was something horribly wrong, I didn't want to know. Not until after I've moved, anyway.

It didn't happen again. I made it through all the buildings, visited all the booths, and wasn't tired or weak at all. I swung right along like always before. I am very relieved.

I have occasionally invited people to go to the craft fair with me, and they always say, "Nah, I'll skip it", thinking I guess of little old ladies crocheting doll clothes, the usual church Christmas craft fairs. This is nothing like that. The stuff is all gorgeous, all handmade by true artists, and, unfortunately, mostly outrageously expensive. But it sure is fun to look at.

Forged aluminum platters:

Bags and painted portraits:

Handmade canoes (I overheard someone say they were $3K):

Pottery and stained glass:

Baskets:
One of the three long buildings (there's a fourth large square building). There are two aisles the length of the building, with booths on either side (four rows of booths per building). Most people walk down one aisle looking at things on both sides, then back up the other aisle. I walk down the first aisle looking only to the right, then back up the same aisle, again looking only to the right. That way I don't miss anything, but I end up walking twice the distance.

Glass paperweights:

Pottery:

Scrap sculpture. I didn't use the flash in the building, so I wouldn't disturb anyone, which means the camera had to be held very still. So some of the photos are fuzzy, but I included them anyway, just to show the variety.

This photo is disappointing because it doesn't show the beauty of these whatsises. They are made of thick pieces of natural color heavily weathered and textured old barn wood, and are very three-dimensional. This photo makes them look flat and boring, almost just paintings. They're not! I absolutely love them.

Handmade lamps and shades:

My lunch, a Greek salad with roast chicken, and that yummy yogurt and cucumber sauce on top. Good, but a bit expensive at $9 for the salad and $2 for a small bottle of water.

This is the large rectangular building. Booths around the outside walls, and then three or four "islands" of booths in the middle. This building is mostly craft foods, cosmetics, and a few stray other crafters. This particular photo shows the six or seven local wineries offering tastings. They are always set up along the wall just inside the entrance.

I don't know how many photos one can include in one post, so I'll stop here and continue in the next post.
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