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Cheyenne Bottoms Craft Fest
Cheyenne Bottoms Craft Fest
Jean Aycock
Join us at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center on October 1st from 1-5 pm for an afternoon of appreciating our local artisans! From soapmaking and spinning to woodcarving and weaving, meet local folks who practice old crafts. There will be a wide variety of hands on activities, including opportunities to try your hand at the presented crafts.
Over the last few years, the KWEC has seen great interest in the quarterly Craft Workshop Series. Past workshops have included papermaking, basket weaving, cold process soapmaking, and even dyeing yarn with plants found in our area. With so many people excited about learning hands on crafts, a craft festival featuring local artisans was a natural next step.
There are quite a few people in Central Kansas with a talent for these sorts of crafts – some even practice them professionally. Rebecca Ford runs Artisan Soaps in Great Bend, and got involved in the historic process of soapmaking out a love for the finished product. “Many get into soapmaking because they are in pursuit of a better solution for a difficult skin condition such as psoriasis or eczema; handmade soaps are a great alternative because they don't have all of the irritating ingredients found in commercial products. But for me, I got into soapmaking because I just really like a good bar of handmade soap!” Ford said.
Other artisans practice their craft as a hobby, like Terry Asper. She got her start in weaving through her participation in the Society for Creative Anachronism – a nonprofit that encourages the study of history through hands on learning of crafts and skills. Asper will be demonstrating weaving, as well as letting visitors try it themselves.
These two artisans are just a few of the many local folks who will be displaying their work at the Cheyenne Bottoms Craft Fest! We’d love to see you on October 1st, from 1-5 pm. Spend an hour with us, or stay the whole afternoon learning about these historic arts. For more information about this FREE event, call the KWEC at 1-877-243-9268.
