“I want to thank all you vendors for coming. We appreciate you year after year,” said Rotary Club President Ken Adamczyk. “We’re really proud as Northville Rotary of a town of 1,200 people we have the 10th largest Rotary Club in the Greater Capital Region, and because people like you and events like this that’s how we get things done.”
The weekend-long event will continue today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Activities will include demonstrations, raffles and a silent auction. Food can be purchased and picnic areas are available.
Tickets for the raffles and silent auction are $2 each and $3 for five. This year’s items being raffled off are a kayak donated from Fuel-n-Food, a bike donated from Bikeworks in Johnstown and a patio set from the Blue Hen. The items for the silent auction will be donated from the artists.
All proceeds from this year’s event will be used by the Northville Rotary throughout the year to provide scholarships to students, support community organizations and projects of Rotary International.
The first Woodworking and Fine Arts weekend took place in July 2009 with just 11 artists at the Inn at the Bridge and since has expanded to over 60 artists. The event is now held at the Bradt Building on Main Street.
Rotarian Sue Owens said the Inn at the Bridge got too small for the event.
“We have really grown over the years,” she said.
“It’s a great rotary event,” Owens said. “Not only great service for the community, but also fun.”
Attendees of the Woodworking and Fine Arts event can look forward to the juried artists and selected fine craftsmen who will display examples of the area’s works of art.
The hand crafted art will include woodwork, paintings, jewelry, photographs, weavings, baskets, pottery, a blacksmith, furniture, hand crafted pens and pencils, solar lights, blown glass, hand crafted flutes and more.
For many of the artists or attendees it was their first time at the event, while others have been attending for years, but all were enjoying themselves.
Ryan Pakenas of Devil Dave’s Bloody Mary Sticks is a first-time vendor of the event. He shut his store down to be a part of this year’s lineup.
“I think it’s important to support the Rotary Club,” Pakenas said. “I think this is a great cause and they’re in their 10th year. And, this is something the community supports and it brings a lot of people. Glad to be part of it.”
First-time attendee Kevin LaMonda, who was there with his family, said the event is phenomenal.
“There are amazing artisans here. It’s incredible,” LaMonda said. “Just being out in the community and seeing local artists and just really enjoying the craftsmanship. It’s really neat.”
Scott Phillips of Adirondack Logworks said it is his fourth time being an artist in the event and William Betrus said it is his second year.
Both said they like being in Northville.
Anthony Ambrosino, who is a photographer, said he has been doing photography since the ’70s and this is his seventh year in the Woodworking and Fine Arts event.
“This is a great show, one of the best ones we’ve been to,” he said.
His wife Michelle Ambrosino, who makes bird houses, said she enjoys the event.
“It’s a comfortable setting. It’s not like sitting out in a parking lot,” she said. “Everything here is hand crafted. It’s phenomenal to think all these people, they make this stuff.”
