By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Vendors and shoppers alike descended upon North Robinson Saturday for the 32nd annual Colonel William Crawford Fall Festival.
While the weather was less than ideal, that still didn’t stop the over 100 vendors and even more shoppers from attending the Colonel Crawford Athletic Boosters fundraiser.
One such vendor braving the drizzling rain and chilled autumn air to take part of the annual festival was Witter Produce. Based out of Tiro, Witter Produce has taken part of each Colonel William Crawford Fall Festival. Susan Bower was helping out with her aunt and uncle’s produce trailer for the sixth year.
“Weather does make a difference when it is sunny it is packed, and when it is kind of drizzly rainy and cold it’s a little slower, but still steady,” Bower said.
One wouldn’t notice a decrease in items for sale or customers inside the high school Saturday. Friends Holly Kozinski and Tricia Gies attended the event together and were taking in the crafts and wares available from the multitude of vendors.
“We just like to come out and check out all the vendors, and get some pumpkins; get some good food,” Kozinski said.
“I come here to get unique Christmas presents and my son is a football player and cleaning in the (school’s) kitchen,” Geis said.
Lois Dye was another shopper taking in the Fall Festival explained her favorite part of the Fall Festival.
“My favorite part of the Fall Festival is the crafts,” Dye said. “An Ohio State Buckeye at one of the venders was my favorite item that I have seen.”
Crafts and produce weren’t the only items shoppers were patronizing Saturday; cosmetic products were also for sale. Working as a vendor for the first time at the festival Heather Martin was selling Rodan and Fields skincare products.
“I have come to it for years, but never as a vender here, but it is always great and brings lots of people no matter the weather,” Martin said. “I like the produce and the outdoor pumpkins, but there are always great items here, and many vendors usually return and have similar prices from the year before.”
The car show hosted by the Colonel Crawford Athletic Boosters Club, is another tradition at the Fall Festival, while there weren’t as many cars as years past there was still plenty of classic car eye candy to take in.
Another staple of the festival is food. From Kettle Cooked Soup to food from the Crawford County Cattlemen’s Association’s trailer to fall favorites such as apple cider, there was no shortage of substance to satiate one’s palette. Bill Faulds, proprietor of Bill’s Bakery, was selling his confectionery creations for the seventh year at the festival.
“I enjoy the people, it is a really fun show, it’s really well run, and you meet nothing but nice people out here,” Faulds said.