War Eagle Craft Fair Opens in Northwest Arkansas for 59th Year
By: Kyle Leyenberger, KNWA-TV, Fayetteville
Updated: October 19, 2012
The 59th Annual War Eagle Fair kicked off Thursday, drawing thousands of shoppers looking for that special something.
The fair is full of one of a kind finds, from re-purposed spoon rings to barbed wire sculptures, as well as the people who create them.
"It's so rewarding," says Vicki Jo Ferriss, as she makes a fish out of barbed wire. "I didn't even imagine that I had any sort of talent until i started doing this."
Owen Sloan says he can make make a ring in minutes, by bending the handles of old silverware. He got his start by accident.
"I got one of my wife's sterling spoons caught in the garbage disposal and was in the dog house deep," he says. "She liked rings so I made her a ring out of the handle."
Cole Seal, the fair's media coordinator says it's fun to meet the crafters.
"They're a unique group," she says. "They're tight knit and they really take care of each other."
Seal should know, she's been at the fair every year of her life.
"My great grandmother started the fair in 1954," she says. "She started it with a vision to preserve and revitalize traditional crafts in the Ozarks."
The fair is still going strong, with 250 crafters selling their wares to more than 100,000 people over the weekend.
"She was a really unique woman so it makes me really proud to be able to see what she's done and be able to share that with other people," Seal says.
The fair runs through Sunday, and admission is free, but you do have to pay $2 to park.
Click here for more information.
Click here to watch this report.
The fair is full of one of a kind finds, from re-purposed spoon rings to barbed wire sculptures, as well as the people who create them.
"It's so rewarding," says Vicki Jo Ferriss, as she makes a fish out of barbed wire. "I didn't even imagine that I had any sort of talent until i started doing this."
Owen Sloan says he can make make a ring in minutes, by bending the handles of old silverware. He got his start by accident.
"I got one of my wife's sterling spoons caught in the garbage disposal and was in the dog house deep," he says. "She liked rings so I made her a ring out of the handle."
Cole Seal, the fair's media coordinator says it's fun to meet the crafters.
"They're a unique group," she says. "They're tight knit and they really take care of each other."
Seal should know, she's been at the fair every year of her life.
"My great grandmother started the fair in 1954," she says. "She started it with a vision to preserve and revitalize traditional crafts in the Ozarks."
The fair is still going strong, with 250 crafters selling their wares to more than 100,000 people over the weekend.
"She was a really unique woman so it makes me really proud to be able to see what she's done and be able to share that with other people," Seal says.
The fair runs through Sunday, and admission is free, but you do have to pay $2 to park.
Click here for more information.
Click here to watch this report.
