By Paige Nash
Makers, bakers and lemonade shakers gathered at the Farm of Cultural Crossroads Saturday afternoon, October 14.
“Saturday was probably the prettiest day we have ever experienced during Makers. The weather was perfect, and the eclipse was an added bonus,” said Elaine Eaton, President of the Board of Directors of Cultural Crossroads of Minden and Event Founder/Coordinator for the Minden Makers Fair. “There was a steady stream of attendees from 11 a.m. up until 4 p.m. We had several attendees drive from Arkansas. The last attendee I talked to arrived at 3 and was from El Dorado.”
There were free events for everyone to enjoy such as taste testing, balloon animals, face painting, mask making and henna tattoos. Other vendors filled the location selling anything from candles, baked goods, woodworks, wreaths and everything else in between.
Live demonstrations were a sight to see with glass blowing by Ivy Woods, a pottery wheel by Mandi Ebard and Jiu Jitsu/Kickboxing with Minden Jiu-Jitsu. Make and Take art was provided by the Webster Parish Libraries and a free test tasting was held by the LSU AgCenter.
The purpose of this event is to “unite all people through the arts” and the money raised from this event will do just that.
“What isn’t used for paying artisans, purchasing supplies, etc. is used towards operating costs of The Farm of Cultural Crossroads,” said Eaton. “This year we did not have an Event Sponsor, so our budget was cut by $1,500 but we still made it work. It is a priority for me to be able to pay our artists. Often artists are asked to donate their time and supplies and that is not fair to them as they deserve compensation for their effort just like anyone else does for their work.”
Cultural Crossroads is run completely by volunteers and none of the volunteer staff is paid for their time, including Eaton.
The next Makers Fair will be held next fall 2024.
Eaton said, “I use the Old Farmer’s Almanac to choose our date and it has never rained using this method.”
Eaton would like to thank Tammy Eaton for coordinating with the Youth Challenge Program who prepared the grounds for the event, Tyrone Grider who provided lawn care needs, Webster Parish Tourism for the $2,000 advertising grant and this year’s sponsors; Mike’s Hometown Spirits, B1 Bank, Home Federal Bank, Gibsland Bank & Trust, Speer Roofing, Minden Family Dental, Catherine Hunt Realtor and Brookshire’s Grocery.
