49th Annual Hansen Arts & Crafts Fair this Sat., Aug. 19

If you enjoy sunshine and crafts, spend a fun-filled Saturday in northwest Kansas on Highway 9. The town of Logan, home to the renovated Hansen Museum, hosts one of Kansas’s best arts and crafts fairs. Join the festivities on Saturday, August 19, 2023, when more than 57 artisans and crafters from Kansas and the surrounding states will turn the Hansen Plaza into a shopper’s paradise. There is no admission charge.

The day starts with a 5K Run and 2 Mile Fun Walk. Registration and t-shirt pickup begin at 7:00 a.m. at the corner of Douglas and Main. The 5K Run starts at 8:00 a.m. with the 2 Mile Walk to follow at 8:15 a.m. All registration fees will be given to Phillips County Hospice Services. Download a registration form at hansenmuseum. org/5k-run2-mile-funwalk/ or call the Museum to sign up.

After the race, cool off in the shade and check out the crafty offerings as every booth opens for business at 9:00 a.m. Food vendors fill the air with tantalizing smells as they prepare delicious foods such as hamburgers, bratwursts, turkey & noodles, pies, barbeque, walking tacos, snow cones, kettle corn, and more. There is something tasty for every palette. Also, at 9:00 a.m., Inflate-o-Fun will be ready to entertain the children with an obstacle course, a meltdown game, and a jump/slide combo.

For your listening pleasure, live music on two stages can be enjoyed throughout the day. The south stage will showcase the talents of “Formerly Three” at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m., alternating with “The Bent Fork Band,” entertaining from the north stage at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Artisans presenting their skills around the Plaza Square throughout the day include caricature sketches by Brooke Harris; basket weaving by Marsha Jensen; wheel throwing techniques on the potter’s wheel by Chris Goedert; weaver Sally Brandon; pen and ink artist Julie Peterson-Shea; and fast draw shooting with the Deer Creek Regulators.

Amble across the street to the Logan Library, where you can watch Janie Lowry’s Disappearing Quilts Keep Showing Up demonstration at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. On the other end of the block, Iowa chainsaw artist, Blair Smith, will astonish you with his chainsaw artistry. Blair Blair is scheduled to carve at the service station at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. Be sure to stop and watch his amazing talent. Two of his incredible sculptures will be given away in drawings at 10:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.

Please take time to step inside the Museum and meander through the gallery. Sean Kenney’s Animal Super Powers exhibition (sculptures made with LEGO bricks) will be on display. This exhibit is a crowd-pleaser, so stop in the gallery for a look. While inside, check out the membership table to purchase or renew your Hansen Museum membership. Purchasing a membership during the Arts & Crafts Fair automatically enters you in the Hansen Bucks drawings (Hansen Bucks can be spent just like cash at all Arts & Crafts Fair vendors). $500.00 worth of Hansen Bucks will be given away in drawings held at 10:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Remember to stick around because you must be present to win and spend these bucks!

The day’s highlight will be the selection of 12 new winners (and two alternates) of the coveted “Artist of the Month” award. The crafters are judged for uniqueness, quality of craft, and display. Winners will be announced at 2:45 p.m. with prizes and photos to follow the fair’s 3:00 p.m. closing.

(See the ad on Page 8A of this week’s Stockton Sentinel.)