Sponsored by the Jaycees, the fund-raiser supports the Empty Stocking Fund which provides school supplies, Christmas toys, and clothing for underprivileged children in our area. A very worthy cause!
The sign tells the "what" and "when"!
Folks check out the food tents. Chicken, gyros, pretzels, lemonade, and doughnuts, were just some of the food offerings available.
This scarecrow advertises the fried pies. "Come and get 'em while they're hot!"
And here are the ladies making the fried pies. You can't get fresher fried pies than this!
Moving on the the crafts...
You can buy handmade wooden bowls and other interesting pieces here.
These painted gourds remind me of the ones I saw at the market in Tonolá, Mexico. In Mexico (unpainted) gourds are frequently used in the fields as bird-houses. Several gourds are hung on a pole and many poles are put out in the fields.
In this booth here, the lady's bird houses were very attractively painted. See the one at the top of the picture? She also had some very handsome jugs made from gourds.
One of the more interesting crafts was the blacksmith booth.
This young man, Jason, a self-taught smithy, cranks up the fire to work on a piece he was making.
Here he uses the anvil to shape the rose that he is creating. Notice the large can of water in the lower left of the photo. He can put the iron into the water to cool it down. It is also there as a precaution since he is working with an open fire.
Here he pounds the rose he is making.
Watching him brought to my mind the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, "The Village Blacksmith", that I had to memorize in elementary school. Do you also remember:
Under the spreading chestnut tree The village smithy stands; The smith a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands...
OK...so Jason doesn't exactly fit the description that Mr. Wadsworth had in mind!! but he was a good blacksmith!
And now on to the pumpkin patch. You can make jack-o'-lanterns or just decorate with pumpkins. But in the fall, one must have a pumpkin! It just wouldn't be autumn without one!
Want to buy some fun for Halloween? All kinds of Halloween decor made from tin was available here.
These two little guys sit, eating their caramel apples and playing with the balloon, while the couple takes a rest, and others still mill about. Everyone enjoys the day.
Here are my two favorite guys:
For my friends in Mexico who are reading this blog, maybe from these photos, you can get a feeling for the fall festivals we celebrate here. They are similar to the puestos in the plazas in Mexico.
For my friends in the good old USA, go out and enjoy the autumn: the festivals, the colored leaves, the pumpkins and the apple cider. It won't be long before the snow flies!
We had a fun afternoon!
Hasta luego.
