Artisan fair to be held on downtown sidewalks Dec. 3
To ring in the first holiday shopping season with Cairo’s new streetscape, Cairo Main Street is sponsoring an artisan fair along the broader sidewalks of downtown’s retail district on the first Saturday of December.
Nearly 20 local artisans will be on hand with their hand crafted items for sale, ranging from fresh produce and beeswax products to woodwork and artwork as part of Elevate Grady Artisan Fair, An Intentional Gathering of Artistic Flair.
“One of the focuses of the streetscape being pedestrian friendly is that we can bring extra foot traffic to our downtown,” says Celeste Tyler, Cairo Main Street director.
The fair will take place under Cairo’s “Christmas Canopy” of lights on Saturday, Dec. 3, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The event is modeled after Elevate Artisan Fair organized by Della and Jeff Lovett and held at Summerhill Farms in Cairo in early October. Della Lovett is an advisor on the December fair, and she says five new artists have come on board, with 12 others from October returning to participate.
The new artisans include Donna Rush of Rush Honey Farm; David Abbott, Abbott’s Woodcraft; Amber Smith, Finding Neverland Jewelry; Nancy Vance, Pet treats; and Scott Easom, Art Shack.
Returning artisans are Della Lovett, Maisie Daze Fleecery; Brent Mode, wood work; Gail Cook, upcycled bottle art; Randy Rhea, Susina Winery; Debra Smith, Backroads Photography by Debra; Angie Willis, The Little Bee; Jenny Law, Lavish Celebrations; Sandee McLendon, Sandee’s Sew and Sew; Jana Trulock, Truly Unique Ceramics and Gifts; Matthew Pipkin, The Tribe Speaks; Heather Connell, Cakes by Heather; Susan Palmer, Firelilly Jewelry; Amy Pearce, Art by Amy; and Mollie Cohen, Pecan Ridge Plantation.
Main Street director Tyler says she hopes the festival will attract to the downtown area additional shoppers who will also buy from Cairo’s traditional retailers. “I think it’s putting space where you can come and do some one-stop shopping,” she says.
The Fair is part of Cairo’s traditional Christmas Extravaganza, which kicks off the season locally with the annual Christmas Parade two days earlier on Thursday, Dec. 1.
