Unique Vendors Abound at the Apple Festival

Hundreds of people enjoyed the lovely Autumn day while browsing the dozens of vendors at the Georgia Apple Festival on Saturday, October 8th.
Vendors selling food and beverages, jewelry, décor, trinkets, apparel, and odds and ends were scattered throughout the fairgrounds. Children enjoyed pony and camel rides, bounce houses and bungee jumping.

Amongst the dozens of vendors, there were a few unique ones that caught my eye.

Chez Gant Designs features colorful, creative works of art using glass. In addition to a full-time job, Shawn Gant handcrafts everything from a studio in her basement and sets up shop at 12 festivals per year; eight in the fall and four in the spring. Since many of her artworks are ornament-type items, four of the festivals are holiday-themed. The pictures of the items speak for themselves. The light played upon the beautifully-colored ornaments that adorned small trees, and the wind chimes, votive holders and other figures of stained glass were alive with color in the shade of the morning sun. For more information, contact Shawn at shawn@chezgant.com.

The artists at Going Green Lanterns craft hanging tea light holders from recycled glass bottles. The bottles feature a variety of designs which are glass-embellished or sand-etched. There is a design to suit everyone’s taste and budget. The Georgia-based company’s products may be seen at festivals, gift shops and online at www.goinggreenlanterns.com.

Kerry Dortch, owner of The Puppet Farm, handcrafts all of his “adult” and “baby” puppets. Dortch also names and clothes the adorable furry puppets. He does a short puppet show for the curious people who stop by his tent to marvel at the “creatures.” Dog? Cat? Bear? Not sure what the puppets are, but they are precious. Dortch, now residing in Georgia, started his Puppet Farm in 1985 in Kentucky. While I was deciding on a puppet to purchase, a couple who are from Kentucky stopped by to browse and admitted that they had purchased one of Dortch’s puppets for their grandchild a few years ago but decided to keep it for themselves because it was so cute. And they still have the puppet. Dortch travels the festival circuit with his Puppet Farm. For more information, email him at kerrydortch@thepuppetfarm.com.

Mal McEwen lends a new meaning to the phrase “pumpkin carving.” McEwen carves figures as well as pumpkins using varied -size chainsaws. He is not only a vendor, he is a show; pure, raw entertainment. A large, mesmerized group gathered to watch the show on Saturday. Apparently, chainsaw carving is an up and coming art form, and McEwen is leading the way. He says that this is the “only art form in the world that combines the speed and sound of a motorcross with the skill and accuracy of a brain surgeon.” McEwen has been commissioned for carvings nationwide. To his credit, he also has the new totem pole that is located on the front lawn of Cherokee County High School in Canton, Georgia. McEwen makes appearances year-round at festivals and special events. Check out his web site for more information, photos and videos www.malworks.com.

This was my first Apple Festival attendance since I was about eleven years old. I must say, it has grown tremendously over the years. Props to the organizers and everyone involved for making this year’s festival an enjoyable extravaganza.