Craft vendors drew crowd to Sharon Green Saturday

SHARON — Even at 10 a.m., cars already lined the streets along the Green and parking was hard to find. The Sharon on the Green Arts and Crafts fair once again drew a healthy crowd of vendors and shoppers Saturday, Aug. 6.Crafters from near and far, old friends and new, offered everything from the ubiquitous American Girl doll clothes to decoupaged light switch covers.Richard Heys and his wife, Anna, of Litchfield sold hand-carved wooden bowls made from local wood.“They’re from trees that fell down in storms or trees people were taking down,” said Heys. He listed black cherry, walnut, red oak, ash and a few varieties of maple among his source materials.He said the woods he is most interested in have a curly grain.“A burl or some area of the tree that has interlocked grain — that’s what fascinates me the most,” he said. “The fun part is to visualize what’s inside the log and reveal it in a way that’s pleasing.”The Heyses were at the Sharon fair for the first time. Richard Heys said he usually sells his bowls through galleries, such as Ella’s Limited in Bantam, but decided to try out fairs this summer. He said he chose Sharon because he has been coming to the fair as a customer for years.At the other end of the Green, William Trowbridge of Sharon set up his blacksmith forge and demonstrated how he twists and shapes iron to create banana hangers and door latches. He said he’s been coming to this fair for 12 or 15 years.Mike and Joe Kennedy of Orange, Mass., set up a tent for Crab Island, which sells hermit crabs. They said it was their first time in Sharon, but Crab Island, which is owned by a friend of theirs, has been to the fair before.The brothers said they got involved in the hermit crab business when their father, Fran, 77, a retired artist, started painting hermit crab shells.“He’s bored,” said Joe. “It gives him something to do. But he’s not in the mood to sell. So we do it, on the weekends. I work for Comcast. You can find me climbing telephone poles Monday through Friday.”Many of the town’s civic and religious groups had booths as well. The Sharon Woman’s Club sold baked groups and TriArts volunteers offered information about upcoming productions. The Sharon United Methodist Church grilled burgers and dogs, while Sharon Hospital offered a Healthy Choices menu directly across the Green.The Sharon Lions Club gave out popcorn and bottled water. The members served cake in honor of 70 years of service to the community. Country Spice performed at the Lions’ booth.