People from in and around Loudon County flocked to the 53rd annual Lenoir City Arts & Crafts Festival this past weekend at Lenoir City Park eager to see what all of the various crafters had for sale this year.
The yearly festival, sponsored by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs Suburbia Women’s Club in Lenoir City, drew a crowd of an estimated 7,000-10,000 people, and about 185-200 booths were set up at Lenoir City Park for the weekend, Susan Rhyne, club treasurer, said.
“It changes every year,” Rhyne said of the festival’s growth. “We’re getting close to sort of the maximum; we can’t get a whole lot bigger because of the park size, so we’re getting close to the maximum. We could probably get it a little bit bigger if we wanted to.”
Rhyne said the festival nets $25,000-$30,000 each year. All of the funds raised go back into the community, including $5,000 in scholarships every year and $1,000 for Lenoir City Schools’ Project Graduation, a program designed to help prevent high school seniors from making bad decisions on graduation night.
“It’s a great outside event,” Chanley Morgan, club president, said. “We have a great location right here on the water. It’s beautiful here. It’s just a good family atmosphere.”
“And we have a little bit of everything,” Rhyne added. “We’ve got music, and we’ve got food. ... It’s easy to get in because we have parking and bus services so everybody, you know, the handicap can easily get in because we’ve got (East Tennessee Human Resource Agency) buses. We try to make it as easy for people to get in and enjoy themselves.”
Live entertainment throughout the weekend included a story session with author Sam Venable and music from Taylor Kress Band, Outta the Blue, the Jeff Jopling Band and the West Wend.
Morgan said the festival offered a variety of items for sale, including woodworking materials, birdhouses, jewelry, antique furniture, handbags, hats, photographs and books. Food and drinks were also available. In addition, glass blower, soap crafting and iron forgery demonstrations were shown to passersby.
Business was “brisk” at the Authors Guild of Tennessee booth, Cheryl Peyton, local author and Tellico Village resident, said. As of Saturday, Peyton said the booth had sold 22 books. Thirteen of the group’s 34 authors were represented at the booth on Saturday.
“What we’re encouraged by, in addition to sales, is interest,” Peyton said. “People seem to want to know more about our books, show some interest in reading local authors.”
Knoxville resident Judy Bibler said she had frequented the festival for about three to four years, and she always enjoyed stopping by the local authors booth because she liked reading about topics that were relatable to her.
“It’s the local artists and you always find different things, innovative stuff they’ve done,” she said while purchasing a book. “I like the metal stuff that they’ve done, and I never pass the local authors because you kind of miss them in the big box stores, and they’re definitely — they’re better.”
Lenoir City resident Cindy Duncan and her mother, Farragut resident Jeanie Watson, were perusing the handmade scarflets for sale by Knoxville resident Becki Grindell. Duncan said she had visited the festival for about 20-25 years.
“It’s an annual thing. We look forward to it every year,” Duncan said. “... I guess I just enjoy that we’re along the lake, the different crafters that come in, and it’s just a good event for the community.”
Sue Malsnee, of Woodstock, Ga., was straightening up her handmade stoneware pottery as people passed her booth. She said she had been selling items at the festival for about 10 years.
“It’s always a good turnout as far as the number of people that come,” Malsnee said. “The attendance is usually high, which is a big plus no matter where you go, and the atmosphere is fantastic. So it makes a nice outing for people to come, and I enjoy doing it.”
The twang of canjos, similar to banjos which were made out of aluminum cans, could be heard from Lenoir City resident Jared Weaver’s booth. Weaver, along with his 8-year-old son, Maddox, and wife, Laura, were selling handmade canjos. Weaver said he set up a booth at the festival for about 10 years. Business was going well, he said.
“Nice weather brings them out,” Weaver said.
