<\/p>\n
Painters, jewelers, blacksmiths and other craftspeople gathered in downtown Mancos on Saturday for the town\u2019s annual street fair.<\/p>\n
About 20 vendors set up booths on the Grand Avenue block between Main and Mesa Streets, which was closed to traffic all day. Although organizer Carrie Baikie said a few artists stayed away because of a morning thunderstorm, most of the day was dry and sunny. Baikie said all proceeds from vendor booth fees would go to the Pay It Forward Fund, which benefits Mancos residents in need.<\/p>\n
Many of the vendors had been coming to the fair for several years. Most were from the Mancos area, but there were a few exceptions, like Nadeem Mull, who runs the furniture store Ultimate Home in Albuquerque. He has made the trip to Mancos three years in a row in order to sell imported rugs and baskets at the fair.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a nice show,\u201d he said. \u201cThe weather\u2019s always beautiful, the trees are turning \u2013 it gives us a reason to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mull said he plans to expand his business to Colorado soon with a new store called Durango Rug Co.<\/p>\n
Other wares on display at the fair ranged from landscape paintings to jewelry to T-shirts. Mancos resident Bryan Kyle sold artwork made from gourds and papier-mache alongside his wife Angela\u2019s organic lotions. The Mancos Lions Club sold hot dogs and other snacks at the main entrance to the fair, and representatives from the Mancos School bond committee handed out promotional materials for the district\u2019s ballot item in this year\u2019s election.<\/p>\n
One of the most well-attended booths belonged to Steve Williams, owner of the Cowboy Forge in Mancos. Williams has been in the blacksmith business for about 20 years, he said, and he\u2019s spent the past four years teaching his skills to young people. He and several of his students set up a temporary forge in the street and gave demonstrations, while the students sold the weapons, armor, jewelry and art they had made at the forge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a romance about blacksmithing,\u201d Williams said. \u201cWhen you start doing this, you forget about the rest of the world. You forget all your problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he comes to the fair every year, not only to help his students sell their creations, but also to recruit more apprentices. While blacksmith work is often grueling, he said he has seen a growing interest in making things \u201cthat will last forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Local musicians Marilyn Kroeker, Lynne Lewis and Tim Hillard provided live music throughout the fair, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Baikie said she was pleased with the number of people who decided to attend despite the day\u2019s stormy beginning. This was Baikie\u2019s first year organizing the fair, and even though she only had about a month and a half to prepare for it, she said she felt it was important to keep it going.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found out no one was going to spearhead it, and I was like, \u2018What? There\u2019s not going to be an arts and crafts festival?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cMancos is an arts community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baikie, who heads the Mancos Chamber of Commerce, said she appreciated the \u201ceclectic\u201d group of artists who regularly participate in the event.<\/p>\n
Most of the Grand Avenue art galleries were open during the fair, which was followed by the opening of a special exhibit at the Kilgore American Indian Art gallery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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