The Farm at Rocky Top hosts weekend-long arts and crafts festival
SALEM, Ala. (WRBL)—A great breeze and comfortable place new music greeted site visitors to The Farm at Rocky Leading. Dozens of vendors dotted the garden about the barn, selling almost everything from dried flower bouquets to antiques, fried pies, and tea. It was the initially hour of Rocky Top’s first Hay Days arts and crafts festival and hundreds of company had been presently milling close to.
“Holy cow!” stated just one girl in amazement as she and her partner entered the farm.
“This has been two several years in the generating,” mentioned operator Jan Lawrence, who included the farm has been in her household for 50 decades.
According to Lawrence, the concept for Hay Days begun in 2021, adhering to the accomplishment of the farm’s once-a-year Christmas marketplace and pumpkin patch, included just after their 2016 addition of a marriage location.
Aiding in the preparing process was Co-chair Carol Pridgen, who Lawrence reported was key to the project’s achievement.
“I couldn’t do this by myself,” said Lawrence. She and Pridgen explained their primary seller objective was 50 but they saved pushing up the quantity as a lot more community firms joined. On the weekend of the pageant, Lawrence noted 90 distributors have been in attendance. She anticipates more upcoming 12 months.
In addition to the many distributors, Lawrence also manufactured sure the occasion had a lot to do for young children and families. Across the venue were a bouncy dwelling, petting zoo, practice and what she referred to as “photo-ops” – staged spots the place guests could choose shots to article on social media for the likelihood to win a $250 gift card.
For Angie Brown and Steve Sherrer of Flower Child Florals, the Hay Days competition marks their initial time as vendors at an celebration. The florists, who carry exclusive dried- and contemporary flower arrangements, appeared in fantastic spirits as they worked from their camper van.
Brown claimed, “It would seem actually awesome. Awesome location and all people appears to be delighted and it is just a superior turnout.”
Lawrence spelled out she and Pridgen experienced attended numerous other arts and crafts festivals and created use of on-line sources in buy to design their event. She claimed naming the pageant was just one of the trickiest areas.
“Usually, situations like this are named right after a time of calendar year or a thing relevant to the geography of the land,” stated Lawrence, “So I obtained to imagining, ‘Well, what is it about the Rocky Leading in May?’ And I stated, ‘Well, my husband cuts hay.’ And that’s that! So, let’s just phone it ‘Hay Days’ due to the fact I’m a entertaining farmer, he’s a hay farmer.”
The occasion will go on until finally 5 p.m. nowadays and resume tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Entrance for any visitor more than 3 years previous fees $8 for every individual, which goes toward masking pageant costs and upkeeping the farm. The payment also incorporates all non-vendor functions out there at the Hay Times.