Apple Butter Festival

Sunday morning (Oct. 9th) was another start to a gorgeous, not-so-fall-like day. I picked my mom up at about 7:30 and we drove to Grand Rapids for the annual Apple Butter Festival. This event has escalated from what I imagine was a casual street fair at one time, to a ridiculously ginormous handmade craft bizarre that takes up almost every inch of the town. There are SO MANY booths with LOTS of talented (and some questionable) individuals selling their unique and crafty wares. In years past, I've gone with my friend Jill and a couple of her pals... but I've really been craving some mother/daughter time with my Mama and this was a fun morning for the two of us. I didn't take pictures of the busy streets and open lawns filled with all the craft booths because it was just too chaotic. And actually, many of the sellers had signs posted saying "no pictures unless you are buying". I'm sure they are afraid of copycats making money off their ideas... especially with the raging success of Etsy businesses. That has to be one of the biggest changes I've noticed this year compared to the last time I was there two years ago: Now everyone has a business card with an Etsy shop address on it. I LOVE THAT!!! I can check out their stuff in person, collect cards of things I find cute and interesting (especially for Christmas shopping coming up) and go home to think it all over and browse their online Etsy shop. Many of the booths at this festival accept only cash or check and I am preferably a credit card kind of girl. So Paypal is my very good friend and I prefer Internet shopping to driving somewhere in person almost all the time. Especially with the gas prices and ever-busier lifestyles we live. The only exception is trying on pants for myself. Ha! Every girl knows that you might try on three pair in the same size and style and one fits better. ;-)

So anyway, my only purchase for the whole day were a brown bag full of handmade cookie cutters to use for cutesy lunch packing (and I suppose some cookies sometime too). :)

I also took home a handful of business cards for some adorable kids aprons, some awesome women's bags made of super cute fabrics, and little girl's tutus and hair bows. My one disappointment this year was that the favorite fudge place was closed... but I did enjoy my hot cider while we browsed. We left around 11:00 and as we walked back over the bridge that crosses the river, we noticed again the super cute open train that was decorated for fall and carrying families with young children across the river on the old train tracks. Mom and I both thought the kids would absolutely love that and asked if the train runs regularly or just for special occasions. We were told only for today (bummer - I'm going to double check that though) so I am planning to bring the kids back next year just to do the non-shopping activities at the festival: visiting the colonial encampment set up with people in period clothing and demonstrating lots of old trades and hobbies and every day life, riding that train, and maybe taking a ride on The Volunteer - an authentic, 1800's, mule-drawn canal boat for a trip along a restored stretch of the original Miami and Erie Canal. The boat passes through one of the original canal locks in front of the historic Isaac Ludwig Mill - a restored and working sawmill. Grand Rapids recently hosted a similar type of weekend festival called Canal Days on September 10-11. It was on my list of things to do but the weekend weather wasn't great and I didn't feel like getting out. Maybe next year. I bet both days of that weekend combined are less busy than the one day of Apple Butter Festival. :)