Shaker Woods Festival starts this weekend

Staff report

COLUMBIANA

Shaker Woods Festival, a nationally recognized craft festival, will return this weekend for the first of three-consecutive weekends.

Handcrafted items, delicious food and live entertainment are featured during these three weekends: Aug. 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is ($8 (free for children 12 and under) at the gate. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. No pets or alcoholic beverages are permitted on the grounds. Children’s strollers are not recommended.

For information, go to shakerwoodsfestival.com.

The grounds are at 44337 County Line Road, just off state Route 7, one mile north of the intersection of state Routes 7 and 14.

The Shaker Woods Festival, founded to honor the 18th century Shaker community, offers more than 200 craftspeople, representing artists and crafts from all across the country.

Each juried craftsperson, dressed in Shaker period clothing, offers his wares in a cool, manicured, wooded area. The level grounds feature crushed gravel footpaths for easy walking and access from acres of free parking.

Crafters demonstrate their unique skills without the use of modern conveniences – not even electricity. The diverse crafts include basket weaving, blacksmithing, broommaking, leather work, paintings, pottery, quilts, custom garden stones, plants, toys, jewelry and woodwork. The items for sale range from small miniatures to rooms of custom-made furniture and hand-carved masterpieces. Some of the crafters exhibit only at the Shaker Woods Festival.

Entertainment, from bluegrass and cloggers to country and gospel, is featured on all three stages throughout the festival.