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| September 9 - 12, 2010 |
When my friend, Carol, invited me to Stone Mountain's Yellow Daisy Festival, I wasn't sure what to expect. What kind of people go to one of America's largest craft fairs? What kinds of things do they sell? I envisioned grey-haired ladies wearing appliqued sweatshirts selling quilts and counted cross-stitch pillows (there were a few of those) and long-haired hippies playing the harp and mandolin (OK, there a few of those, too), but for the most part, it was a fun display of relevant artisan objects.
The festival was named for the fall-blooming Confederate Yellow Daisy which was discovered in 1846 on the outcrops of granite at Stone Mountain. But nobody is coming here to see the flowers. With over 400 vendors representing most states in the union and a couple other countries, people swarm here for one reason and one reason only - to shop. The veterans shoppers arrive promptly at 10AM with lace-up athletic shoes and wheeled carts in hand. The picture above was taken on Friday morning, so you can imagine that on a weekend afternoon, it is nothing short of pedestrian gridlock.
The paved paths over which the craft fair is assembled loop a total of two miles, but seem like more. Exhibits are lined up randomly on either side of the path which, thankfully, runs inside a shaded canopy of trees. All vendors are judged based on submitted works which makes this a "juried show."
I tried to stay practical and came home with six unique cookie cutters, some Merlot Jelly, homemade soap, a stack of mixes and a big bag of hair bows. My personal favorite picks were a couple of really cute Children's Clothing vendors like Smartie Britches and some very aesthetic Alphabet Photography taken in Historic Savannah by Chris Morris Photography. (This may or may not be the correct link. Who knew it was such a popular photographer's name?)
If you want to check out the Yellow Daisy Festival, you'd better hurry! Everyone is packing up at the end of the day tomorrow!
Thanks for a fun day, Carol!