On Friday evening, downtown Augusta’s Redemption Church began its 13th semi-annual Augusta Handmade Fair fundraiser, all profits from which are donated to help Sojourn Uganda.
The fair will also be open on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 5, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Doris Building located at 930 Broad St.
With over 60 vendors featured handmade items ranged from pottery, art, embroidery, clothing, honey, food, dog accessories, body products and even walking sticks – truly something for everyone.
Local artists and creators from all over the CSRA invited others to purchase handcrafted items while preparing for the coming holiday season.
Claire Riche, vendor coordinator for the fair, said the money will all be donated to help Sojourn Uganda with community outreach, clean-up efforts and funding other projects that help children go to school.
MORE: Junior League of Augusta hosting 11th Annual Holiday Market
According to Riche, every product within the fair is made locally and helps promote the artist behind the art.
Vendor Alice Newcomer, who sells homemade honey, said she believes the event allows people to connect and socialize with others – which makes the products much more personal.
“For me, I don’t want to give someone a gift that I bought from Walmart,” she said. “Handmade gifts are more personal because there’s a lot more thought that goes into it.”
To fellow vendor Jennifer Keller, who paints ceramics live during the fair, interacting with customers can truly give the pieces meaning for them.
“You can’t go into Target and then ask about the artist’s inspiration or why they do it,” said Keller. “There’s no comparison between something that’s handmade and something that’s mass produced.”
Her favorite part is seeing others react to her pieces and knowing someone else liked her stuff enough to support her.
Along with exposure, Keller said events such as the fair also encourage different people, mainly introverted artists, to get out of their house or comfort zone and branch out within the community.
Attendee Jen Blanchard said she came to hunt for unique Christmas gifts for her grown children. She believes handmade gifts are always more thought-provoking and impactful than a mass-produced object or art.
MORE: Disney Princess – The Concert finds niche audience
“It’s made with blood, sweat and tears,” said Chris Marsha, a local jewelry maker. “Sometimes things are so personal I can get overwhelmed with things to say sometimes.”
Blanchard said she thinks many people prefer to buy mass-produced items because they falsely believe handmade things are overly expensive. However, she said the fair is a great example of items ranging from very different price points.
Shopper Michela Coleman, who favors jewelry and the fair’s banana pudding, said buying locally can lead to unexpected results.
“You don’t see that many local things sold anymore,” she said. ”I think supporting each other is how we can grow as a community – one person at a time. Who knows what it can lead to.”
As families, couples and friends perused from booth to booth with smiling faces, artists took turns answering questions and showing their passion in detail for those highly interested.
From the artistically crafted pens, soaps and pocket squares, many guests were thrilled and intrigued by several items.
For more information about the fair please visit: https://augustahandmadefair.com
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
