Barn sales highlight festival lineup

There are small-town festivals, barn sales, kids fun and a school festival among the 13 events this weekend. But how many festivals can boast its own Pipe and Drum Band to entertain visitors?

It’s a novelty found this weekend at the Red Bank Artisan Festival, which marks its second foray into the fall festival circuit on Saturday.

Sponsored by the Red Bank Masonic Lodge, it’s designed to feature the original work of local craftsmen. The ladies of the Order of the Eastern Star will host a Betsy Ross Cafe, where snack and drink vendors will be located. In addition to the Alhambra Shine Highlander Pipes and Drums, the Shrine clowns and pirates will be in full costume for this Halloween-themed event.

-If you only have time for one festival visit, however, today’s Bird and Barn is the recommendation for three reasons.

First, Bird and Barn is set in scenic Black Fox Farms in Cleveland, a wholesale nursery and event venue. Second, this show raises funds for a worthy cause: Project Free 2 Fly.

Project Free 2 Fly is a nonprofit that supports women by teaching them the marketable skill of sewing. The women learn to make a line of products, which will be among items for sale at the show, and profits of sales go back to them to boost their families financially while they are working on short-term, or long-term, goals to change the course of their future. Women in Project Free 2 Fly also receive personal, career and financial counseling to help them live independently.

Hailey Johnston, Bird and Barn organizer, says that over the past four years the nonprofit has been able to serve more women because show proceeds have funded the purchase of more machinery.

Third, Bird and Barn’s original work isn’t the kitschy things you see at many fall festivals. These products tend more toward gift market, vintage, shabby-chic home accents and some textiles.

For example, Anthropologie shoppers will recognize Karen Guethlein’s handmade ceramic ring dishes that are imprinted with a variety of designs from initials to cute phrases. Last year, Ree “Pioneer Woman” Drummond purchased a large amount of these dishes to sell in her new mercantile.

Unexpected finds such as this has caused Bird and Barn’s popularity to spread by word of mouth.

Johnston says the sale began in 2014 with 16 vendors set up only on the upper level of Black Fox’s barn.

“The following year, we decided to utilize the bottom of the barn and gorgeous courtyard to allow 24 vendors. It went from a night event the first year to an all-day event and we more than tripled attendance by extending hours. Last year (the third show) we had 1,200 come through. This year, we’ve upped our vendor selection to 30 and will also have live music throughout the day,” she says.

Among other well-known vendors customers will find at Bird and Barn: DW Designs with its popular line of state pride and college-spirit shirts that are sold in Alumni Hall; Iron Press Book Co., with handmade sketchbooks and journals; Hackberry Barn’s handmade wooden signs; and The Ruffled Page, a source for handmade wreaths made of either burlap or pages of sheet music.

Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.