As any dancer will tell you, you can have strength without grace but you can’t have grace without strength. And if the grace of the Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival is the warm, welcoming, Southern hospitality experience for visitors and artists, then that grace is provided by the strength of an army of volunteers. There are so many components to organizing the festival and people from all walks of life and all ages give countless hours to make sure all the pieces come together seamlessly to make the festival a success. Here are some of their stories and why they volunteer. You will notice a common theme… the love for the festival is often a family affair and passed on from generation to generation.
An army of volunteers
Part of the 2022 Festival Committee
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Did you know that there was a Phantom of the Festival? Who worked tirelessly behind the scenes for years but was never seen. 30
2022 Fairhope Arts and Crafts
My sister, Fran Faust Slade, was very active with A& C for many years. In 1999 I moved to Fairhope and immediately became involved. From painting an old boat float, to collecting articles and assembling scrap books. I worked organizing, collecting and providing food for volunteers also. I was Co-chair then Chair for two years. I served as Merchandise Chair for a year and am now a member of the Advisory Committee. My daughter followed me as Chair and is now President of the Foundation My husband, Mac, served as the “Ice Man” selling ice to Food Court Vendors for at least 8 years. When they lived in Fairhope another daughter and two granddaughters volunteered too. I guess you could say that including my sister, me, my husband and my daughters Arts and Crafts has been a family affair for over 35 years. Jaca
I have been a volunteer for 22 years. I moved to Fairhope 24 years ago and wanted to get involved within the community. It was a perfect fit. I Chaired the Registration and Hospitality committees, and am now on the Advisory committee. My fondest memories are meeting the artists year after year and developing friendships with them. Barbara
