Old Saybrook Craft Fair Returns
The 59th annual Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce Arts and Crafts Festival will return to the Town Green on Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1. The festival features over 100 artists and crafters, both local and from far away.
The event, which offers free admission and free parking, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The chamber promises that the vendors returning to the show will maintain the high quality for which the festival has become known.
“We have some new exhibitors this year that we’re really excited about,” said Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Judy Sullivan.
The crafts are available in 17 different categories, namely fine art, acrylics, ceramics/pottery, graphics, fiber, mixed media, embellishments, glass, watercolors, oils, jewelry, pastels, leather, photography, metal, sculpture, and wood according to a press release.
The festival is an Old Saybrook tradition that dates back decades. It was usually held in July each year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event had to be canceled in 2020, and organizers didn’t want to have to do so again in 2021. Since it was brought back, it has instead been held at the end of September and early October, which Sullivan said has been a surprise hit.
“The first year was so successful that we kept it in the end of September-early October time frame. We found that in the fall, it’s cooler, so people linger much longer, and we have more people who come back again the second day,” Sullivan said.
The festival is annually a big draw in Old Saybrook. Attendance estimates in years past have been as high as 10,000 visitors to the fair across the two days.
“It’s always been a great fair. You can talk directly to the artists, and some are even doing their crafts there as you’re talking to them, which is always a great hit,” Sullivan said.
In addition to the crafts, Sullivan said that there will be three nonprofits selling food and drinks. “It really is a great event for the town, and we encourage people to come check it out,” Sullivan said.