Two days of art fair draws crowds to Marion park
Staff writer
An experiment to spread Art in the Park over two days drew thousands of visitors this weekend to Central Park, coordinator Margo Yates said.
“Saturday was wonderful,” she said. “It was very busy, and people had great sales. Sunday slowed, but steady.”
Yates could not provide exact crowd size numbers, but said many shoppers hit Marion after visiting Hillsboro’s Arts and Crafts Fair first.
“If you’re driving three or four hours away and you have two shows within 10 miles, it is worth your trip,” she said.
Clemo Haddox bought his yard art and décor business, DC’s Juntiques, to Marion and Hillsboro for the first time and praised both.
“It’s a good solid show,” he said of Art in the Park. “It’s good enough that I turned in an application to be here next year.”
A native of South Coffeyville, Oklahoma, he began selling the sculptures that he welds at craft shows to supplement his pension after retiring as superintendent of schools.
“Our best-selling piece is either our rooster or our peacock,” Haddox said. “This time of year, the pumpkins also are popular.”
Shows in Chanute, Scott City, Louisburg and Mound City, and Mount Vernon, Missouri, are next up after Marion.
Vickie Schroeder, with Tallgrass Longarm Quilting, joined about 25% of vendors who shut their booths after Saturday.
“One day is enough for me,” she said, laughing about the 90-degree temperatures Saturday.
A few who shut down already had a day of decent sales and other family obligations, Yates said.
Longtime vendor Dawn Duerksen Riggle who operates Hand to Mouth Crafts was glad the fair was expanded to two days.
“For a Sunday, it was good,” she said. “The fair was better this year, because it was two days. And, yes, I will come back next year.”