A Westwood Sunday in the Park

The cool temperatures and overcast skies may not have cooperated, but they didn't dampen the mood of the visitors making their way along the rows of exhibitor tables at the "Crafts in the Park" show held in Westwood's Veterans Park on Sunday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sponsored by Westwood Heritage Society and Hackensack UMC at Pascack Valley, the free event drew about 800 attendees.

Visitors and shoppers were treated to a creative and colorful array of arts, crafts and photography. The more than 85 exhibitors displayed lots of enticing offerings --- jewelry, apparel, handcrafted pillows and totes, hand-painted furniture, turned wood bowls, pens and pepper mills, exotic wood cutting boards, florals, cakes, jellies, honey, soft sculpture and soaps. Local vendors also offered lots of tasty festival foods, ice cream, Italian ices and homemade pickles.

"It's a nice community event," said Bill, a long-time Westwood resident, who was there with his wife, Janet. "We've attended in the past and have always had a good time. We decided to come today and so far, so good. But we're ready with our jackets and rain gear just in case."

"It's a shame more people aren't here to enjoy. Aren't these musicians great?" asked Janet, as she swayed to the live music being performed under a large tent by the Westwood Community Brass Band.

"We're having fun and making the most of the day," said one mother and daughter, who were waiting in the food line. "We're amateur crafters so want to see the works of others who are more experienced and talented," said Marie, from Hillsdale. "Maybe we'll work ourselves up to one day exhibiting."

"I don't know about that, but it would be nice to come to the show and make money instead of spending it," joked her daughter, Marisa, a Park Ridge resident. "I always find one or two cute things that I can't resist buying. And even when I don't, it's nice to chat with the artists and crafters, and learn all sorts of interesting things about their techniques, materials they use and such."

"This is always a fun show to do. We enjoy interacting with the crowds and our designs always do well; this year has been no exception," said Philip Jonker, owner of Rollin' Thunder Home Accents (www.rthomeaccents.com), a Ringwood, New Jersey-based company that specializes in copper weathervanes and cupolas. Jonker and his wife, Donna, have been coming to the show for about seven years to display their delightful creations.

"It's a nice crowd," agreed another exhibitor, artist Keith Dorans, of KD Stained Glass Art (www.kdstainedglassart.com), which is based in Cranford, NJ. At his booth, Dorans exhibited his custom pieces which ranged from small silver jewelry starting at $20 to intricate stain glass creations of up to $700. "Traffic hasn't been as good as when I came last year, but it's still good. I'm already signed up for their next event here in August."

Although they hadn't yet sold anything by mid-afternoon, sisters Amy Denekamp, of A Mix of Creativity.com, and Barri Skalky, of Fairy Topias, remained hopeful of landing some sales before it was time to pack up their whimsical assortment of handiworks. Sitting in their shared booth, the pair explained this was their first craft show, and they were just happy to be there and encouraged by the "very positive comments we've been getting," according to Denekamp.

"I live in Westwood and have been attending for years. I finally decided to give it a try from the seller's side of the table," she continued. "When I told Barri what I was doing, she decided to join me. We have very different tastes and styles, but we're having lots of fun testing the waters and getting feedback."

Indeed, "fun" was the adjective most often used --- by both exhibitors and visitors --- to describe this year's June "Crafts in the Park" show. A similar free show is planned, rain or shine, for Sunday, August 26 at the same Veterans Park location. Called "Antiques in the Park Show & Sale," it will be sponsored by the Westwood Heritage Society. For more information, visit www.pjspromotions.com