Marion show expands to 2 days

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

For the first time, Marion’s annual Art in the Park and Craft Show will span the weekend Sept. 18 and 19.

How the expanded two-day event turns out will affect whether next year’s festival also will be two days, coordinator Margo Yates said.

“The first time you try something, who knows?” she said. “But I’m hoping it will turn out.”

Yates said it was difficult to find vendors this year, so she reached out to vendors she heard about and found online.

As older crafters get out of the business, younger ones are not stepping up to fill the void, she said.

Yates decided to also invite people who do direct sales, who used to be allowed only at the community’s “Park It and Market” event, to set up booths at the arts and crafts fair.

“We’re letting in direct sales,” she said. “We haven’t before, but we’ve been asked about it.”

Among the new vendors this year will be Two Brothers Fudge Co. of Fort Scott.

Brenna Schields, who grew up in the county, graduated from Centre High School, and now lives in Iowa, will be a food vendor. She calls her business B’s Sweets and Treats.

Black Dogs Salsa and Pepper Jellies, Emporia, will sell assorted habanera pepper jellies, and peach and regular salsa.

Spice it Up will come from Bonner Springs. The vendor offers homemade barbecue sauce and meat rubs, with flavors ranging from sweet and sassy to super hot and sassy.

Vendor Dragon’s Sanctuary from El Dorado also will set up a booth. The small business sells games, novelty items, and Alchemy Coffee Werks coffee.

Vendors from Galva will market decor items made from wine barrels.

DC’s Juntiques of South Coffeyville, Oklahoma, will sell lawn decor crafted from “junk.”

Yates said 100 vendors had signed up for Sept. 18 and 75 for Sept. 19.

Gnomes 4 You is coming from Great Bend. It will sell gnome figures and cross-body water bottle bags, Yates said.

Cindi’s Hope will sell African-made merchandise.

“There’s just so much new, cool stuff,” Yates said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The glut of new vendors doesn’t mean familiar local faces will be missing.

Local food sellers, including Carlsons’, Wagon Wheel Express, and Taco’s Food Truck, will serve food.

Carlsons’ will serve breakfast burritos both mornings, Yates said.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will have its effect on the fair.

“The layout of the event is going to be different,” Yates said. “We’re going to spread people out. There won’t be a food court, but we’ll have food, we’re just not going to put it all in one area. We’re not going to set up the big tent, just some small changes to try to create a socially distanced but friendly atmosphere.”