Common Ground Fair – fiber
The last batch of photos: Fiber!
I felt so proud of the Wednesday Spinners group for maintaining such a strong presence at the fair year after year. Here’s an article about the group from the Ellsworth American. The article was written in 2016 and states they’d been meeting for 41 years, so I guess this is their 50th anniversary? No sign of a party, just a long row of spinning wheels, with constant demos, plus informational tables and items for sale behind them.
Susan Barrett Merrill’s website, Weaving a Life
As might be expected, the fair weekend ushered in the season of autumn. We had our first frost on Saturday night. A harvest festival is so poignant – a last big get-together in the still summery days, even as the dark times get longer and chillier.
By accident, I sat on a bench next to a man who turned out to be Tim Nason, who’s been involved with the fair since the early 1970s. He was mostly responsible for the monthly newspaper put out by MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners, the organization behind all this). This encounter made the fair even more meaningful for me. Watching the old-timers pass the torch – actually passing very real skills and knowledge – to an enthusiastic younger generation is probably one of the main reasons I love the fair so much.
Farewell for another year!
What a great fair! Thank you for sharing your pictures. The coming of autumn is bittersweet.
It is bittersweet, Dana. It’s so nice to have a big celebration like the fair to “socialize “ that feeling with others.
Catherine~ the sense of real community here can be felt across the country! How lucky you are to take part in this tradition. I traveled through the art and fiber booths with you and then visited the links to see even more. Thank you so much for sharing. I’ve always loved the masks and the earth loom. Seeing them here makes me wistful for this kind of connected life. I’m glad there were so many young folks joining in. Thank you again.
You’re very welcome, Nancy. So glad you enjoyed them.