Crafts draw hundreds at Kane Fairgrounds
Holly Cotherman had to exercise restraint on Sunday at the Christmas on the Fox Art and Craft Show. Although she held back from getting everything she wanted, the Gilberts woman did buy herself a custom hair clip holder and order a second for someone else.
“There are a lot of talented people here and a good mix of items,” Cotherman said.
Many of the people strolling through the rows of indoor displays held bags of purchased items and several of the vendors said they had a successful weekend during the two-day show, held at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles.
Heather Spear, a Palatine artisan, makes jewelry out of postindustrial “found” objects. She said she always has one eye to the ground in her life as an urban explorer.
Spear started making and wearing her own jewelry about five years ago but turned it into a business — Urbex Archaeology — when people showed interest in her designs. Now she shows her work at several art shows per month.
“People like that it’s recycled and it has a history,” Spear said. “There’s something to it.”
Because Spear can’t collect enough material from her own wanderings, she also purchases salvaged goods from Habitat for Humanity.
This is the fourth year Robin Reed, of Art of the Heartland, Inc., held the show at the Kane County Fairgrounds. She held her first show 28 years ago. Reed said Saturday was especially busy but plenty of people stopped in Sunday as well, some for the second day in a row.
“I don’t see many just looking,” Reed said. “People are coming to buy.”
There were almost 70 vendors selling their wares from throughout the Midwest. Floral designs, clothes and jewelry lined the tables. Gilberts artist John Warnock sold his high-end pine needle baskets and carved eggshells, while Virgil Hoffman from Indiana had a successful weekend selling reindeer made from tree limbs.
Mary Powers, of Elgin, was at the show with her daughter Becky Kelly and granddaughter Shannon Kelly, who bought a back scratcher and baby doll dresses.
“What’s here is very nice,” Powers said.
Christmas on the Fox was the last Art of the Heartland show of the season. Reed will be back at the fairgrounds next September with the Country Folk Art Show.