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I have reviewed this small one-day show for the last three years. The nuts and bolts for the show can be found there.  This was the fourth year for the show put on by my church, UCC Parker Hilltop. It is an all-volunteer event. A goal has been to move the show toward higher quality artists and patrons, and this is being accomplished by attracting artists within about 1 hour of Parker, CO. This encompasses the south Denver metro area to Colorado Springs, and Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson and El Paso Counties. I don’t do this show as a moneymaker, but sales over the last four years have ranged from $150 to $700. This year’s sales were a little less than $500, and we spent all of it on art from other artists.   

     The weather was miserable. It started snowing Thursday night and by Friday there was at least 6” on the grass, but the roads remained clear. Saturday during the show, it snowed continuously. The storm did not move out until Sunday evening, leaving heavy wet snow weighing down the trees.

     I estimate that about 500 attended the show and many were buyers.  During the art fair there are performances by youth and adult music and dance groups. Across the road at the historic school house, there is a youth art show. All of these functions draw out the parents of the kids. An important observation I made this year was that these parents appreciate the arts or they would not have their kids participating in these groups. Likewise, they are buyers of art.

     The school house sold lunches, church ladies sold cookies, there was a silent auction (art work to Bronco’s and Rockies tickets), and door prize drawings hourly. The Boy Scouts came in for clean up and they helped artists load out. That was a big help as it was cold and wet sleety snow was coming down.

     I had fun, we bought gifts for family and I got my original of the owls.

Photos: 1. Jean spending money, 2. The shaved ice guy outside - brave soul, 3. one of the youth choirs, 4. My owls, acrylic on canvass.