The Prairie Peddler Festival, a much anticipated yearly event featuring music, crafts, artisans, and food kicked off this past weekend on state Route 97 in Butler and will continue next weekend.
In its 27th year, the festival has reached nearly 200 vendors offering handmade goods. Suzi Skoglund, festival coordinator, said, “We’re a handmade-in-America craft show, and that’s hard to find today because there are so many imports everywhere. We want to keep that tradition of handmade crafting going. We don’t want to see that die.”
Skoglund added that the structures and costumes help keep the event “old fashioned.” Vendors are required to dress in late-1800s period clothing.
Many vendors have been a part of the festival for most of its 27 years. BeeOlogy, located in booth 174, has been a part of the Prairie Peddler for 22 years, said owner Dave Duncan. His booth offers bee products, hand creams, candles, soaps, jewelry, and even a candle-dipping demonstration. Duncan said he enjoys the festival and feels it is growing steadily.
“There’s a variety of arts and crafts here, and it’s getting better every year,” he said.
Marilyn Rehm of Ivy Hill Farm can be seen demonstrating gourd carving in booth 18. She said she has been part of the festival for 8 or 10 years. The booth offers carved gourds for bird houses and sees a lot of repeat customers. “I have people come back that say they got one that now has a wren in it and they want one for someone else,” she said.
Brandon Burns of Circa Plants said he started approximately seven years ago with the festival. Burns noted that he’s most impressed with the quality of goods available at the event.
“They really inspect to make sure people are making things. Some other shows that look primitive really aren’t; I’ve seen people behind their booths unpacking those triangle boxes from China and peeling off stickers. You won’t see that here.”
“Of course the food’s great, too,” he added.
Skoglund agreed, “The men come for the food, and the women come to shop.”
There is a wide variety of food to be found at the festival, from chocolate dipped strawberries and kettle corn to stews, hotdogs, and even turkey legs.
The Butler Lions Club offers hot dogs and brats, parboiled in beer, water, onions, peppers, and butter in a cast iron kettle, then grilled. The stand also offers fresh-cut fries and a variety of other edibles. Butler Lions Club President Gary Mathes noted that the festival booth is one of the club’s major fundraisers. Mathes said the club has been a participant at the festival since the beginning.
The Festival Café, which offers soup and sandwiches, is run by the Nordstrom family of Ontario and has been part of the festival for ten years. Alexis Nordstrom, 12, assisted grandparents John and Cindy Nordstrom in the booth to earn money for cheerleading, she said.
In addition to shopping and food, the festival offers a chance for philanthropy. All proceeds from children’s activities in the “Kidzone” benefit the American Cancer Society, and booth 187A, which offers tanned pelts, was accepting donations for Mohican School in the Out of Doors, which will be matched by corporate sponsors.
The “Kidzone” offers scarecrow building, as well as birdhouse and pirate ship painting and jewelry box decorating. Magician Jania Taylor can be found in the children’s area, as well, with stories, shows and balloon animals.
Other activities for children include a petting zoo, horse and pony rides, and candle making.
“It’s different. It’s not your usual arts and crafts festival. It’s outdoors. It’s beautiful here; it’s beautiful getting here,” said Skoglund.
The Prairie Peddler now offers a second entrance to help alleviate traffic congestion, marked with signs on state Route 97. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children ages 6 – 12. The event is held “rain or shine,” 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 4 and 5.
