Haddonfield held its annual Crafts and Fine Arts Festival in muggy heat on July 12 and 13 along Kings Highway.
Despite the weather, crowds were drawn to the roadway, which was lined with booths and tents from local businesses, vendors and artisans. Kings Court also had representatives from area community colleges, schools and centers selling work made by their students.
A wide range of items was on sale at the festival, includng leather goods, jewelry, clothing, art prints and paintings, pottery and sculpture and wood crafts. Vendors also sold food and snacks and artisanal-crafted items like olive oil, pet products, stickers, soaps and bath bombs and even some furniture.
There were also various opportunities for attendees to get creative. For $5 at the Camden County College booth, guests chose from a bin of beads to make their own bracelets. Dani Marchewka was there to offer information about the pieces for sale as well as the college.
“A lot of people are liking the little bracelet station,” she said. “We had a lot of people doing that, and I’ve sold a piece so far, so it’s going good and I’m having a fun time.”
Salem County Community College displayed student glasswork, a form that has played an important part in county history. The college’s contribution to that legacy includes scientific glass.
Sasha Moses is a student there and a member of its glass club.
“We’re known for the scientific glass-technology program,” she explained. “It’s the only program in the country where you get a scientific degree. We also have the glass-art program and we’re also raising money for our glass club … (to) represent the span of the work that you can create and things that you learn.”
At the Markeim Arts Center booth, festival-goers took advantage of the make-and-take dinosaur magnet painting station. Several of the center’s students and instructors demonstrated how to create pottery on a wheel, and pottery and ceramics made by Markeim students were on sale.
Jennifer Coelho is a teacher and pottery studio manager at the center.
“All the products were made … just two blocks away,” she noted of Markeim. “We’ve got students who have been at this for six months. We’ve got people who have been doing this for 40 years. It’s a mix of all of their work. We have a beautiful community at Markeim.”
Down Lantern Lane at the site of the famous “Haddy” dinosaur, its sculptor, John Giannotti, signed posters and spoke with residents about the piece.
“What’s been fun about this is seeing so many old students and friends who were here when I first put up the sculpture 21 years ago,” he observed. “So it’s been a kind of smorgasbord of different people, former students, way back, way back in the day, and others who have come by just to see for the first time.”
Individual artists also set up stands along the sidewalks at the festival, sketching or creating friendship bracelets for passersby. Several community groups and organizations were also on hand. Will Buenzle, Mark Brill and Grace Longo of the Grace Episcopal Church set up a table in front of the building to offer water to guests.
“The thrift shop is getting tons of people coming in,” Longo said of the church-run thrift store.
The borough also set up a large outdoor air-conditioning system in the center of Kings Court so festival attendees could cool down. Despite the heat, residents and visitors still made their way to the highway to engage with the community and local artists.
Diane Werner, Liz Carbone and Roseann Dumont were there together.
“The variety of vendors is excellent, so many different things to choose from,” Werner observed. “I found so many different gifts for different people in my life, and I’m looking forward to continuing on to the rest of the end of the street.”
