Fair Season

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Summer is the time for fairs! 


Since I've had the pleasure of attending two of these events this summer, I thought this would be a good opportunity to compare and contrast a county fair with a craft fair. 

In my last two posts I wrote about our local annual county fair, the vibe of a west coast event, it's energy, and friendly air of competition in everything from livestock to fine art. (https://creativelifesampler.blogspot.com/2022/08/more-scenes-from-2022-ventura-county.html) 

Each August on the opposite coast, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen hold their annual fair. This summer they celebrated their 89th year. 


The mission of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen is " To advance, cultivate, and champion excellence in fine craft." ( https://nhcrafts.org/) New Hampshire artists and artisans who work in fiber, silver, clay, paint, wood, and so much more, are juried into membership through review by other crafts persons in their field of expertise. The League maintains several galleries and offers members many opportunities to display their work, perfect their craft, and grow their business. At this fair, you will find very accomplished exhibitors.  

A member competition included furniture, apparel, paintings, pottery, jewelry, rugs, weaving, . . I'm sure I'm forgetting something! Just about every medium is used by this group of creatives.


In the spirit of sharing and promoting their crafts, there were demonstrations, . . . 

Basket weaving demonstration

Iron working at a forge

At work on the potter's wheel

Wood working tent

. . . and several opportunities for hands on experimenting:
"Community Loom"- weaving opportunity for attendees

Like the Ventura County Fair, the League fosters and encourages new craftsmen who displayed their creations in the "Next Generation" tent. It's so cool to see teenagers and young adults enthusiastic about their work and exploring new possibilities. 



Then there were multiple tents where members could display and sell their wares in booths:



I highly recommend taking in this New Hampshire event. All in all, it was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. Lots of creative energy and lots of inspiration! 



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