Despite a late afternoon shower, crowds gathered in the downtown Renton Piazza Saturday for the Spring Festival and Poker Run Saturday, which got a boost from visitors wandering over from the Renton High School Centennial Celebration just up the street.
“It’s been going really well today, everyone’s friendly and having a good time,” said Linda Hays, baker from Forest Fairy Bakery.
She was overseeing the sale of her cookies, breads and other baked goods, items that proved popular with the crowd. It was Forest Fairy Bakery’s third year at the Spring Festival, although they have been around for eight years. Hays lives in Renton and bakes in a commercial kitchen in West Seattle.
“They look for us, they do,” she said of repeat customers. “If we weren’t here, I think they might be disappointed.”
This year, the Spring Festival featured jewelery, purses, photographs, yard art, ceramics, books bionic bands and sandals to name a few of the items for sell. There was also barbecue, kettle corn and hot dog vendors.
The festival is sponsored by the Renton Piazza group.
Crystal Kappenman of Fairwood was selling colorful skirts for dolls up to women’s sizes made out of sweater pieces.
“These are recycled sweater skirts,” she said. “I pick up the sweaters from the thrift store and I make them into swirly skirts with a stretchy waistband that’s very comfortable and you can wear them as a poncho.”
She got the idea from etsey, a crafter’s eBay, and she modified it. Kappenman did the Fall Festival and now she was enjoying doing the Spring Festival.
Regan Wong of Old School Creations was selling her Wacky Crayons, much to the delight of children and adults passing through the festival.
“It’s actually going really well, the sun has stayed out for little bits of time, so people are inspired to come over and color and [I’m] happy to be here,” she said.
Wong said the festival is a great community event with lots of exposure and her creations bring out her customer’s creative side. She melts down recycled and new crayons into molds such as dinosaurs and airplanes, creating a mish-mash of colors.”So it’s very profitable for us and we have a lot of fun,” she said.
