LIHU‘E — Crafters had an opportunity to sell their products this holiday weekend as a line of shoppers waiting formed outside the Kaua‘i Handworks fair Saturday morning at the Elsie Wilcox Elementary School cafeteria. The line is traditional at the
LIHU‘E — Crafters had an opportunity to sell their products this holiday weekend as a line of shoppers waiting formed outside the Kaua‘i Handworks fair Saturday morning at the Elsie Wilcox Elementary School cafeteria.
The line is traditional at the event, as are many of the vendors, and the blustery weather was not a deterrent.
“I have to shake this nasty cold,” said Carol Yotsuda, a former Kaua‘i High School teacher who brought her daughter Geri home from O‘ahu for the event. “I woke at 4 this morning to be here at 6 and found out I had this cold. I’ve got to shake it before next week because I’m working with the Ni‘ihau school in Kekaha on their mural.”
Erlinda Bukoski, a former Wilcox School teacher, was one of the original Kaua‘i Handworks vendors. She said this year she has had to downsize because she doesn’t have enough room to store the finished items for the show.
“I used to have at least 10 of the big Santas,” she said. “But space to store them is becoming a problem, so now we just do three.”
Donna Fuji, a teacher at ‘Ele‘ele School, had new items to display for this year’s event, the large food covers being debuted in October when ‘Ele‘ele School held its annual book sale and craft fair. She said this is her last craft fair for the season.
Karin Panui, another perennial crafter, said the Kaua‘i Handworks event is a preview for her big sale of the year which will happen next weekend when she joins the Kaua‘i Museum event, Friday and Saturday.
Wendi Russell, offering a line of aromatic ornaments created out of red dirt and spices, was coming off the Make A Wish Foundation “celebration of children” event on Thanksgiving Day at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa. She, too, said her season is winding down with her final appearance coming next week at the Kaua‘i Museum.
The Kaua‘i Handworks event was one of four published craft fairs on the island Saturday, with two others in Hanapepe and one at Hanalei Beach.
Ruthie Lewis of Kalaheo coordinated the Holiday Gift Sale at the Hanapepe Library Annex, coinciding with the Women in Art event which served to raise funds for the Hanapepe United Church of Christ food service for the hungry.
“This is good because we’re sending people over to them and they’re sending people to us,” she said.
Among the vendors in Hanapepe, Reggie and Becky DeRoos, artists who appear at the Kaua‘i Museum, said this time they’ll be missing the event because they have regular appearances on Saturday at the Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club.
But Becky DeRoos said she is hopeful about the season because she pointed out note cards which she said the National Tropical Botanical Gardens is considering adding to its gift shop inventory on a regular basis.
Cathy Moratto, Lewis’ neighbor in Kalaheo, debuted spices such as cloves and nutmeg which she has growing on her Kalaheo property.
“This is exciting,” Moratto said. “I’ve been toying with this for the past two years, but never have sold it. I’ve always been giving it away to friends. Now, we have enough that we can start selling it.”
Lewis was excited about her vendors, noting artist Mary Baxter St. Clair, crafter Phyllis Andrade, sauce creator and potter Ted Heath, Leslie Anderson and the son of master craftsman Roman Hubbell of Kahuna Road were just some of the people who wanted to share the holidays with people.
Next week’s offering includes the two-day craft fair hosted by the Kaua‘i Museum in conjunction with its 50th Anniversary. The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, highlighted by the free Festival of Lights ceremony and the Lights on Rice parade. According to the museum, there will be at least 10 food vendors offering a variety of food and entertainment throughout the day.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
