The Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Art Festival will celebrate its 26th year in Haddonfield with more than 250 vendors on Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8.
The Haddonfield Crafts and Fine Art Festival will celebrate its 26th year in Haddonfield with more than 250 vendors on Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8.
Artists from around the country will gather on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. along Kings Highway between Washington Avenue and Haddon Avenue and along Tanner Street to Euclid Avenue.
Arts and crafts such as ceramics, clay, leather goods, glass, jewelry, wood, fiber, metal, paper, drawings, paintings, photography and wearable art will all be on display for purchase. Kings Highway will be a hotspot for local artists, as the town’s main thoroughfare will be a meeting place for community members, crafters and musicians. The festival will be a unique and fun experience, according to the festival’s director, Marcy Boroff, who also ownsRenaissance Craftables, a company hired by the Partnership for Haddonfield to promote the downtown area.
“There’s something for everyone,’’ Boroff said.
As festival director, a position she has held for eight years, Boroff helps plan the ins and outs of the festival, including the recruiting process and general organization of the event.
Boroff and her team help recruit artists from around the country and pick 250 artists out of more than 350 applicants every year for the festival, according to Boroff.
Among other responsibilities, Boroff also works with the Partnership for Haddonfield, merchants, the Haddonfield Police Department and more. In working with the police department, Boroff can guarantee there’s enough amenities for festival-goers, like trash cans and porta potties. The police department and Boroff also work together for the safety of residents in attendance by ensuring the proper streets are closed.
“We do everything from nuts to bolts,” Boroff said.
In addition to the event growing every year, it is also a place for residents to get an experience they otherwise normally wouldn’t have.
“It gives you the opportunity to meet the artists … to understand their creative process,’’ Boroff said.
According to Boroff, buying artistic pieces or products in a store lacks the experience of getting to meet the hands that created it. With the festival, residents can interact with the artists and enrich the experience of purchasing or even looking at something handmade.
“This festival is the community coming together and enjoying shopping, looking, visiting and spending time together,’’ Boroff said.
This free event is easily accessible from area bridges or by taking the PATCO Speedline to the heart of the shopping district. Parking in Haddonfield is also free during the two-day festival.
