Business & Tech

Thousands Flock to Downtown for Art and Craft

Thousands of shoppers descended on First St. yesterday to take take in the art and purchase some too.

The shoppers came to First St. yesterday.   For vendors at the 37th Annual Fine Art and Craft Fair in downtown Benicia all those buyers meant a fun day at work.  For  the buyers, it was an opportunity to see new goods and visit old friends.

"It's a lovely show," said Sue Snively of Dixon who was selling her wearable art; hand woven scarves and handmade shirts. "This is my second year here as a vendor."

Local shopowners also take part in the show by purchasing  the booth space in front of their stores.  "We usually get a bump in business," said Laurie Key, proprietor of Piccolo on First St.

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Even the weather cooperated to make the event a success.  After a warm, cloudy morning, the sun broke through in the afternoon, but the temperatures never got uncomfortably warm.

Felicia Renaud of Sebastopol was selling her hand painted light bulbs at the fair.  "They look great behind a white shade," she said.

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Sue Wilson of Walnut Creek was donating all the proceeds from sales of her paintings to Nor Cal Aussie Rescue.  "This is Emma Bailey'" she said, pointing to her own rescued Aussie.  "She's deaf and I think she's perfect." 

Brad Adams, a Benicia artist with a studio in the industrial park stayed busy showing his torned wood creations.  "Come back when it's all set up," he said in the morning before the show started.  Later in the day his booth had a steady stream of adimirers.

"I love having 5,000 people walking by my store," said Key.

 


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