TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– Saturday had been over three years in the making for the organizers of the Fruitridge Festival of the Arts.
2019 marked the first time the event moved partially outdoors. In 2019 and 2021, however, the event was plagued by heavy rain. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
So Sara Laughlin, one of the organizer’s was delighted by the clear skies Saturday.
“We’ve had three years of sort of limited success,” she said. “[Saturday,] we have this beautiful weather and it’s just great.
It was a long time coming for the festival, which takes place at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Fruitridge Avenue. Laughlin said the event hosted around 25 local artists, and her favorite part was watching those artists interact with customers.
“They’re doing things that are one of a kind, and not made from kits,” she said. “To be able to see an artist, meet the artist who actually made the item, it’s not being bought in a store counter or even in a gallery’s counter, they’re meeting and interacting with the artist who actually made the item.”
There was also live pottery demonstrations, live music and a scarecrow competition at the event. Laughlin said she received positive feedback on the scarecrows, a new addition to this year’s festival.
“I’m really excited about the interest we’ve got in this,” she said. “People can vote on their favorites, and at the end of the day we’ll give out an award.”
Laughlin also said she was eager to show off a sculpture recently placed outside the building. It was the work of Jon Laska and used to be located on the campus at Indiana State University, but was moved in the last month.
