Artisan fair to be held here Oct. 8

Pure honey gathered from busy bee hives, the softest yarn milled from alpaca fleece and colorful ceramics individually hand painted are just some of the custom creations of artisans living right here in Grady County, and next month they will be in the spotlight during a new fair featuring only area craftsmen and their wares.
The Elevate Artisan Fair, An Intentional Gathering of Artistic Flair, is the brainchild of local artisans Della and Jeff Lovett. “I hope it will make the surrounding communities aware of the large pool of local talent that can be utilized. We have talented people here,” Della Lovett says.
It was while the couple was participating in a fiber festival in Tallahassee where people were demonstrating the many uses of fiber, from weaving on a loom, to demonstrations of knitting and sewing. “We’re sitting there and there was a good, steady crowd and I was amazed, because this place is out of the way and they didn’t do a whole lot of publicity, and Jeff said, ‘you can do this in Cairo,’ and my knee-jerk reaction was to say no, but the seed was planted,” says Della Lovett.
The Lovetts had been asked to participate in that event celebrating fiber, because Della had started raising alpacas and sheering their soft fleece for yarn. With plenty of space to hold the event at their farm, Della began inviting artisans to this one day fair to not only display and sell their wares but also to demonstrate how the creations come to be.
Lovett says, “At first I thought I wanted only those lost arts, but then I expanded it to hand made, where you start with an organic medium, whether it’s dirt or paint or a strip of leather or a skein of yarn and you take that and create something with it.”
The fair is slated for Saturday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Summerhill Farms, 644 Hall Road in Cairo. There will be a $3 per car entrance fee, and 4-Hers will be on hand to assist with parking.
Local artisans committed to participating so far include Melissa Butler baby quilts; Heather Connell cakes; Eastside Baptist Church quilters; Jenny Law custom wreaths and home decor; Della Lovett alpaca yarn, dryer balls and felted soap; Sandy McLendon quilts; Jacob Odum brewery; Amy Pearce, art; Debra Smith photography; Susina Plantation wine; Jana Trulock ceramics and glasswork; Whigham Farmer’s Market fruits and vegetables; Angie Willis honey.
For more information call (229) 377-3116 or email maisiedaze@gmail.com.