A Weekly Note from Mayor Gary L. Graham
“Traditional Values, Progressive Thinking”
The City of O’Fallon and the O’Fallon Arts Commission will be hosting the Strange Folk Arts and Crafts Festival at O’Fallon Community Park on Saturday, September 22, 2007 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you are looking for unique and affordable clothing, accessories, gifts, toys, house wares, jewelry and more, look no further. The Strange Folk Festival has it all.
The Strange Folk Festival will feature nearly 100 hand-picked indie entrepreneurs from 12 states. The Festival is in its second year and is noted for its spunky counter-culture theme and eclectic variety of vendors selling handmade crafts. Notoriety for the event has grown with recent features in ReadyMade magazine and Etsy.com, which features popular blogs and crafting website links. Autumn Wiggins, founder of the festival, attended the Craft Congress in Pittsburgh, PA, which has also brought national attention for the event. As the D.I.Y. movement gains popularity in mainstream culture, Strange Folk has quickly become one of the largest events of its kind in the Mid-West.
Buy Handmade: Support Independent Artists Directly
The current resurgent popularity of “making things” is fostered by creative individuals that not only hone their various methods and mediums, but channel inspiration and self-identity into every aesthetic aspect. Indie crafting is best defined by eclectic applications of retro, modern, international, punk, and pop-culture influences across the spectrum of both decorative and functional handmade items. With nearly endless opportunities to sell, practically no overhead, and an overwhelming network of support, the internet has served as a springboard for quickly transforming hobbies into entrepreneurial ventures. Juried alternative craft fairs such as Strange Folk offer these artists an opportunity to not only sell their wares in person, but to encourage continued interest in their various online shops and
insightful blogs, all linked from the festival’s web site (www.strangefolkfestival.com).
In efforts to further support our vendors, Strange Folk will be offering some amazing incentives for attendees to purchase items:
· The first 150 people to present a vendor purchase at the information booth will receive a cotton Strange Folk Tote Bag (retails for $6), filled with over $20 in goodies, including a CRAFT: magazine (retails for $14.99).
· There will be a raffle drawing every hour. Attendees will receive a free raffle ticket from every vendor they make a purchase from which can then be submitted to the information booth for entry into that hour’s drawing. Prize packages contain gift certificates, handmade merchandise, and more.
Music, Eats, and Activities
· Nate Bernadini and The Bellevegas Band will perform from 12 – 2 p.m.
· DJ Mad Martian will be spinning Indie and Alternative Rock music all day.
· Gyros, Chili, Backyard BBQ, Coffeehouse Co. coffee, Eckerts fresh fruit, and more will be available for purchase.
· The Discovery School Children’s Art Exhibit will include a showcase of kids art and a fun hands-on project.
· Crank Yellow needs help in decorating their new store on Cherokee Street in St. Louis. They will provide the materials for attendees to create a ceiling tile that will cover their ugly rafters.
· Free WiFi service will be available throughout the park.
· Attendees will have the opportunity to trade Artist Trading Cards from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Information and instructions are available on Strange Folk’s web site at www.strangefolkfestival.com.
· The American Red Cross will be available from 12 – 4 p.m. for blood donations. Anyone wishing to donate can get more information and sign up on the Strange Folk web site.
For more information about the event, call Event Chairman Autumn Wiggins at (618) 409-5005 or the O’Fallon Parks Department at 624-0139.
If you are looking for something different and fun to do on September 22nd, I encourage you to mark your calendars to attend this fun event. The strong working relationship between City Hall and the residents we serve is another example of why O’Fallon is such a great community in which to live.
| 
