Even holiday wreaths at arts festival wear red, white and blue

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 15, 2001

LAND O'LAKES -- Char Helgert and Rich Weich of Land O'Lakes came to the Harvest Arts and Crafts Festival looking for items with a patriotic theme.

They were not disappointed.

Almost every booth at the festival, held at the recreation complex on Collier Parkway on Saturday, featured red, white and blue in one form or another.

There were flags, Christmas wreaths and balls, pins made out of safety pins and beads, T-shirts, plaques, items crafted out of wood and even decorated mailboxes.

Weich wore a cap identifying him as a member of the Tampa Fire Rescue Squad.

"We are always looking for patriotic things," he said. "We have a wall painted red, white and blue in our house."

The couple are engaged and planning a December wedding. Saturday was Helgert's birthday, and Weich bought her a denim jacket with a dog and the flag embroidered on it.

"We make a quick survey of the show and then we buy," said Helgert as they looked at a wooden plaque painted with the couple's favorite colors.

Carol Callahan sold the plaque to them for $3.95 plus tax.

"I was (into) Americana before this (Sept. 11) happened," said Callahan. "My husband and I are both retired Navy."

Seventy booths filled the center and spilled outside on the driveway.

"Last year we had 60 booths, so it's growing," said Kathy Dunkley, executive director of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the sponsor of the event. "We have a lot of old crafters returning and a lot of new ones."

In addition to the patriotic items, there were a lot of holiday crafts for sale. With Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, the festival took on a festive look.

In the kitchen, Roz Brown, honorary mayor of Land O'Lakes, was cooking up lunches to raise money for her pet project, the Senior Citizen booklet K"no" Where to Go. Proceeds from her cooking pay for the printing of her guide to senior citizen providers and agencies. She was selling cups of clam chowder and potato soup, nachos and cheese, Italian hot dogs, biscuits and gravy, and an assortment of pastries and desserts.

She said the booklets would be distributed at the Flapjack Festival the first weekend in November.

Janet Novak was new to the festival with her custom-decorated mailboxes.

"I made some for family and friends," Novak said. "But this is my first show."

Mailboxes with themes of gardening, fishing and wildlife as well as patriotism were available for $40 each.

"I'm so excited," she said two hours into the festival. "I sold one of the patriotic ones."

Cindy Smith, the art teacher at Denham Oaks Elementary School, had her Remember Me bracelets on display. The bracelets of sterling and gold-filled pieces are custom-made with names of loved ones, favorite teams, parents, grandparents and, of course, patriotic sayings.

Lorraine Randall was taking orders for Smith, who taught all three of Randall's children.

"The prices are good, and she does a good job," said Randall.

Alligators made out of wood were another popular item.

"Land O'Lakes High School is the home of the Gators," said Kathy VanBrunt, who was selling them, along with other wooden items such as puzzles, keyholders, jewelry racks, plant stakes, and a patriotic rabbit with red, white and blue ears.

Small musical gift bags, an original idea by Beckie Moore of New Tampa, were also offered.

Each bag had a music box incorporated into it. Christmas bags played White Christmas, Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. There were special occasion bags that played Lara's Theme, Misty and We've Only Just Begun. Bags that played Happy Birthday to You were also available.

She had sold four of them by noon at $8 each.

However, among the most interesting crafts were the Christmas wreaths made out of red, white and blue ribbon, balls and lights.

Joyce Meredith of Saddlebrook brought them, along with other Christmas decorations with a patriotic theme.

"The hardest part is finding the stuff to make them," she said. "They are sold out everywhere."

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