By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
With better temperatures, and even more vendors than in previous years, the Colonel Crawford campus was overflowing with shoppers searching for a great deal at the annual bazaar known as the Colonel William Crawford Fall Festival.
As a major fundraiser for the school’s athletic boosters, the festival brings together crafts for all seasons, food, and a sense of school spirit and community pride.
One of three people who helped organize the event was Linda Campbell. Campbell, who was in charge of organizing the vendors explained what goes into producing the Fall Festival.
“It is a collaborative effort of the entire group of athletic boosters here at Colonel Crawford, it is a whole team of people who volunteer, so that our athletic department can succeed. It is having a good relationship with the vendors, so that they come back every year. It is an amazing effort of a whole lot of people.”
Campbell was proud of the turnout for this year’s Fall Festival.
“It is amazing. The weather had a big part to do with that,” Campbell said. “It is kind of like a big reunion every year here. So you will see people visiting that haven’t seen each other for a year, since the last one. The turnout has been amazing and the community’s support has been really good.”
Mother and son Loretta Slone and Zane Smith attended the event for family time and to search for good deals.
“I came here to get all the good deals on the goodies for Christmas, I buy Christmas presents early,” Slone said. “I also enjoy the festival for the family time.”
Smith added that the selection of items overwhelmed him.
“I think there is too much stuff, there are a lot of choices,” Smith said. “My favorite stuff that I have seen so far has been all the candy.”
Also spending some family time together was Stephanie Sterritt, and her daughters Khara Cook, and Karissa Fankhauser.
“We always come every year, we always make it a mother daughter thing, and we always come and have fun,” Sterritt said.
“I enjoyed finding the jewelry, she (Karissa) got a lot of 31,” Cook said.
“We searched and searched for these flowers in the jar,” Fankhauser said. “I was really happy that we found the booth that was selling them, and that they still had some left, because I know that things sell out quickly.”
The event wasn’t just filled with customers, numerous vendors took over part of the parking lot, as well as the gymnasium at the old Colonel Crawford High School building. In their second year as vendors at the fall festival Vera and Tom Millikin were on hand selling some of their handmade items from their venture By Vera. Vera explained what drew her into her craft.
“Years ago I got a pattern for my wallet that was 40 some years old. I loved it back then, and I found the pattern. I thought, ‘I love to sew,’ so I am going to see if it is worth doing, and it has been worth doing it has been very popular. But that was the fun start,” Vera said. “Then I had people talk me into making purses, which I never wanted to touch, but I finally did, and I enjoy it, I really enjoy seeing the final result of it.”
Selling copies of her book, A Magnificent Adventure, Cherie Young, had pictures that inspired the tales within the pages of her literature. Young spoke about a few of the pictures that inspired her book.
“Each of the chapters of the book were inspired by a picture. The fireman is a picture of Dallas Esterday, whom I had met at Wal-Mart,” Young said. “I tried getting the photo rights, but didn’t know who owned the picture. I got in touch with Graham Riley, who owned the picture, and got permission. In his story Dallas has a lighthouse called Shine.”
Young shared how she became interested in becoming an author.
“I went back to college, and took a few writing courses to brush up on my writing, and one of my professors told me that my stories needed to be shared, and that lit the flame of creativity.”
Sisters Janet Snyder and Delores Adkins were on hand for their sixth year at the festival selling paintings from Janet’s husband, Terry, as well as a few handmade items that they had put together themselves. Snyder explained what keeps them coming to the Colonel Crawford Fall Festival year after year.
“It is a local festival and it is good to support the kids in the area,” Snyder said.
The Colonel William Crawford Fall Festival wasn’t all about buying and selling crafts as a car show was also held at the school. Lindy Rachel explained that the car show wasn’t a typical classic car show.
“The principal, and the superintendent usually pick their favorite ones, and we usually do a rat rod as well,” Rachel said. “This is a very relaxed car show. People come year after year for our trophies which are handmade by Mark Teynor and Don Bloomfield.”