EDITOR’S NOTE — Arts & Draughts festival continues from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today, with the music and beer garden back in action beginning at noon.
PORT ANGELES — It was draughty here Saturday. Craughty, too.
The crisp autumn wind that rustled the hanging flower baskets on First and Front streets didn’t deter hundreds of people, though, from enjoying the inaugural Arts & Draughts — pronounced “drafts,” it rhymes with “crafts” — festival along Laurel Street.
Leslie Robertson, who started the Revitalize Port Angeles group to celebrate the city, called the festival “a resounding success” Saturday afternoon as she did brisk business selling tiny glass steins.
For $25 each, they could be refilled with beer or wine as often as the drinker wanted at the beer garden at First and Laurel.
Nearby, a portable sound stage played Middle Eastern music as belly dancers swayed and waved gauzy fans. Scores of people browsed arts, crafts and nonprofit groups’ booths.
“It’s been going wonderfully,” Robertson said, citing “at least 200” visitors Friday night, “and we’ve got a huge surge now” at about 2 p.m. Saturday.
The Port Angeles Downtown Association sponsored the event with promises to make it an annual one, taking up the slack left by the defunct Arts in Action festival.
Artists and craftspeople offered leather and fabric goods, paintings, pottery, jewelry, honey and stained glass. Peninsula Friends of Animals and Olympic National Park’s Adopt-a-Trail program had booths.
Veteran art fair exhibitor Betty Vestuto (Chart Art Prints) of Tumwater said sales weren’t overwhelming, “but that’s OK. They picked a perfect weekend.
“I like to get out and meet people,” she said, counting 50 years of attending such fairs. “Otherwise, you get weird staying home.”
Su Howat, likewise, wasn’t enjoying hot sales from her hydrangea wreaths but said, “I like what they’re doing here.”
The Sequim artist said she was surprised at the age of the crowd.
“There’s a lot more younger people here walking around,” she said.
“I’m a little surprised by all the 20s and 30s and 40s.”
Betsy Farr was visiting Clallam County from Herefordshire, England, and judged the festival “very good. There’s a lot to do and a lot to see.”
The strollers included Kevin and Jeanette Curry of Port Angeles.
“This is wonderful,” he said.
“It’s nice to see people downtown again, enjoying the town.”
Said she: “I like the fact that everyone’s together here and sharing community.”
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
