published: Monday, January 19, 2009

Lake Placid Arts & Crafts Country Fair set for 43rd year

Special to the News-Sun

LAKE PLACID -- An event created in 1966 with a mission to "promote and stimulate interest in arts and crafts in the Greater Lake Placid area" will be celebrating its 43rd birthday Feb. 7-8 with numerous vendors selling their handcrafted wares in Lake Placid's DeVane Park while works of local artists and craftsmen will be on display at Green Dragon Drive at Lake Placid Elementary School.

Run solely by local volunteers, opening ceremonies will be held in DeVane Park at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7 with an opening prayer by the Rev. Ray Cameron, followed by a message of welcome by Mayor Tom Katsanis. The singing of the national anthem by Lake Placid High School student Jessica Griffis will accompany the Presentation of Colors by American Legion Post 25. New on the roster of entertainers this year will be the Front Porch Pickers.

In addition to the vendor booths in DeVane Park, there will be 15 food booths manned by local civic and charitable organizations offering such delicious items as barbecue beef and potato salad (Highlands County Cattlewomen), bratwurst (Trinity Lutheran Church), sausage with peppers and onions (Action Revival Family Worship Center), hot-dogs, soda and popcorn (Lake Placid Woman's Club), meatball subs (Venus United Methodist Church), catfish and onion rings (Masonic Lodge), strawberry shortcake (Ladies of the Elks) and "Everything Keylime" (Caladium Co-op).

For young visitors to the country fair, there will be a children's area including face painting by Toby's Clowns and animals available for adoption from the Humane Society. The Relay for Life, Family and Friends Team will be offering a bounce house to the youngsters while Vanishing Species will have exotic animals on hand for the children to see. As they have in the past, Memorial United Methodist Church will offer games and Wrede's Wildlife will be bringing an eagle. Children's fingerpainting and seat belt safety will also be available in the children's area courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol and Auxiliary.

Vans will shuffle visitors from Lake Placid Town Hall across from DeVane Park to LPES, where student and adult works will be judged and on exhibit. Early registration is advised for those individuals wishing to have their work judged. Entries may be dropped off at the Caladium Cooperative on Interlake Boulevard anytime before Feb. 5.

Wanted! Artists and Craftsmen

Students and adults of all ages and talents are invited to enter pieces of work from the past two years. No entry fees are charged to exhibit at the Lake Placid Elementary School. Ribbon and cash awards are given in the Amateur, Professional and Student sections. In addition, a special wooden plaque given by Hoz Compton is awarded in memory of Dr. William Shuck for the Best Entry in Woodworking.

This year, two special ribbon awards will again be given in memory of poet Eileen Kruger for the best poem in both the Student Poetry Division and the Adult Amateur Poetry Division.

An award for the best in Floral China Painting will again be given in memory of Mary Lou Krog to a student and an amateur adult.

All bakers and canners are challenged to find their best recipes for a special ribbon which will again be given in the amateur Adult Foods Division and this year in the Student Foods Division in memory of Edna Kubic and in memory of Thelma Chase for Most Creative Craft by Eleanor McAvoy. The above categories of memorial award winners are given a special rosette ribbon and a $25 cash award.

Entry forms and classification lists are available in the Country Fair office in the back section of the Caladium Co-op where classes are held. Pre-registration is advised for adults to speed the entry process. Deliver entries for the exhibit to the LPES cafeteria between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5 or Friday, Feb. 6. Individual students are asked to bring their registration form with their exhibit and to bring art work entries especially on Thursday to the cafeteria to facilitate the process. Class entries from the schools are due by Wednesday. All student poetry is due one week earlier on Friday, Jan. 30, at the latest on Monday, Feb. 2. This allows time for judging and displaying all the poetry entries. All other entries are judged Friday evening. Fragile items and uncanned foods should be delivered on Friday, Feb. 6 only.

Awards given for adults and students in each sub-class are first, second, third and honorable mention ribbons. Selected from all first place blue ribbons in each subclass is a Best of Class winner receiving a Purple Rosette ribbon and $10.

In Adult Amateur, the Best of Show is selected in each of the 10 Divisions to receive a Laura Watson Award tri-color ribbon and $25. The Professional category receives Best of Show Laura Rider Award tri-color ribbon and $25.

Students are given ribbons by grade level and receive a Best of Show tri-color ribbon and $25 in each of five Divisions: the Elaine Waggener Award in elementary (Kindergarten through fifth grades); the Anne Reynolds Award in middle school (sixth through eighth grades); and the J.D. Watson Award in high school (ninth through 12th grades). For information call 465-3963 or come to the office. The exhibits committee is anxiously waiting to see all of the wonderful arts and crafts you have been so busy and diligently making.

Demonstrations

During the fair time Saturday and Sunday, demonstrations of the various crafts by former prize winners will take place in the outside corridor leading to the cafeteria at the LPES, weather permitting. Watch for a schedule.

Transportation

Vans will be available during the fair at the elementary school and Town Hall to transport visitors to and from DeVane Park and the high school parking lot if you would prefer to ride between activities.