Published: 10/10/2021 3:45:25 PM
LEYDEN — The inaugural Hills Are Alive in Leyden Craft and Vendor Fair on Saturday and Sunday combined craft vendors, food and live music to make for an atmosphere that married small-town charm with statewide interest.
The event made use of the town common, plus the first and second floors of Town Hall. Those involved with the craft fair hope it can become an annual tradition that uplifts the town on any scale, with some vendors noting they were happy to have met out-of-state visitors. Other vendors came from other states themselves.
Event co-organizer Emily Herron-Clark said she both enjoyed seeing “familiar faces” and those that she’d never seen before.
“A lot of people don’t know where Leyden is and are surprised at how beautiful Leyden is,” she said.
Painter Becca Simmons and children’s book author Bethany Vaccaro, cousins who each came from afar, confirmed this from their personal experience.
“(The craft fair) draws people to the beautiful hidden gem of Leyden,” said Simmons, a Springfield resident. “I’ve had some friends come from Springfield and fall in love with the scenery.”
Vaccaro, a resident of Kingston, N.H., emphasized the wealth of family ties that exist in Leyden, having relatives in the area herself. She said her children had art on display alongside her own books at her booth. Even as a visitor, Vaccaro said, she feels like family.
“I’m not from here … but everybody’s still so welcoming,” Vaccaro said.
Cheryl Snow, a vendor and co-organizer Nan Rolstad’s sister-in-law, said the craft fair is “vital for the town” to bring back the excitement she’d known in Leyden for years that had since dissipated. She said that as the population has aged, the town has had fewer activities. Saturday’s live music and fire pit that accompanied the fair, alongside the nearby tractor pulls taking place on Sunday, gave her a glimmer of hope, however.
“It used to be a very thriving area,” Snow said. “It’s nice to see people who are stepping up again.”
Herron-Clark said that Saturday, the proceeds from raffle tickets and vendor registration fees amounted to $600 that will benefit the Leyden United Methodist Church. While this is a good start, she hopes next year’s vendor turnout will be larger to help carve out a legacy in town.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.
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