The 102nd Arden Fair was held Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009
in Arden, Delaware
Click here for map.
Thanks to all who made this year's Fair such a success!
Every year, the Arden Fair and Antiques Market is held the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. The Fair features handmade crafts (many of which are local), antiques, used books (inside this year), plants, live music in the Shady Grove, children's rides, a variety of foods, an Art Show featuring David Burslem, Gild booths and more. Admission is free and free shuttle buses are available. The Arden Club is a non-profit organization with the proceeds from the Fair going towards the Arden Gild Hall where the public can come and see many concerts and shows and participate in many instructional programs available throughout the year. For questions about the Arden Fair, please call Sima at 302 475-7268.
Most of the event is outdoors, but there are two indoor venues - Gild Hall and the Buzz Ware Village Center. Also, there is covered seating behind The Buzz, near the food vendors, so people can eat in the shade. Also, there is plenty of shade down in Shady Grove, where food and refreshments (including wine and beer) are offered for sale, plus free non-stop live music (click here for schedule).
Photo: Many Shakespeare Gild costumes appeared at the 100th Arden Fair. Click here to see all the photos of the 100th Arden Fair.
The 2009 Arden Fair:
Free Admission- Free Shuttle-Bus Service Park free at the Hanby Outdoor Center on Chestnut Road between Marsh and Darley Roads. Click here for a map.
- Craft Exhibitors include many Club members and new craft vendors. There will be demonstrations by Pete Renzetti of his Puddle People, pottery by Alan Burslem, and wood carvings by Ray Briscoe. There will be candles, fiber arts, food items, jewelry, metal work, paintings, paper products, pet items, photography, and handmade soap. (Historical note: our utopian community's land was purchased using profits from the soap manufacturing of Joseph Fels.) Click here to see the vendor information further down the page.
- Antiques Market: over 50 vendors with a small admission fee. For details, call Lynda Kolski at 475-1658 or Mary Marconi at 475-6819.
In the Shady Grove:
- Free music by a variety of talented musicians. Click here to see the schedule of performers.
- Drink: Beer and Wine by the glass, soft drinks and bottled water are for sale.
- Food: Swim Gild Meatball Sandwiches, Dinner Gild Grilled Corn on the Cob, and other delicious items are for sale.
- Peddlers, Potions and Practitioners:Exhibitors who aspire to improve our health, wellness, and quality of life. In the Buzz Ware Village Center.
- Shakespeare Gild children’s games, rides, including pony rides (11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.). Inexpensive tickets can be purchased for all games and rides. Prizes: maybe you’ll take home a goldfish!
- Upper Food Court (behind The Buzz) with hamburgers, veggie-burgers, hot dogs, sodas, iced tea, hand-dipped ice cream, fruit cups, smoothies, Hawaiian shaved ice, french fries, pizza, funnel cakes and more!
- Library Gild Book Sale (in Upper Gild Hall this year, out of the sun!) with thousands of books
- Gardeners' Gild Plant Sale
- Art Exhibit by David Burslem in the Backstage Gallery.
- Folk Gild will be having Israeli and Folk Dancing demonstrations and participation in the Upper Gild Hall on the stage.
- 1:00 - 2:00 p.m., Israeli dancing with Sharon Kleban
- 2:00 - 3:00 p.m., Folk dancing with Jenny Brown
- Baked Goods, Kettle Corn, Balloons, T-shirts and more!
- ATM Machine On Site.
- Also open will be the Arden Craft Shop Museum.
PARKING:
There is plenty of free parking at the YMCA Hanby Outdoor Center with shuttle buses every few minutes. Click here for a map. Location: Parking is on Chestnut Road, between Marsh and Darley Roads, just north of Arden.
The Arden Fair: Volunteers Make It Happen!
September 5, 2009 is the date, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Here are some volunteer opportunities:
- Fair set-up on Friday (we’ll feed you dinner afterwards, including vegetarian items) Children are more than welcome to help. There’s a lot that goes into setting up the fair – ALL HANDS ON DECK!
- Fair Day opportunities on Saturday include helping with children’s games, sandwich stand, soda/beer booths, baked goods, balloons, books, plants, T-shirts, face painting, and more.
- Fair take-down on Sunday (we’ll give you breakfast afterwards: bagels, fruit, etc.)
- If you want to stay at home instead, cook us some sugar goodies and drop them off to the Bake Table by 8:00 a.m. on Fair Day.
I can guarantee you won’t be bored if you volunteer – we’ll fit you in somewhere. Call or e-mail for questions/comments. Remember, the proceeds from the Fair help to provide services for those inside and outside of Arden. I can’t wait to work with each and every one of you and look forward to your input.
Thanks in advance, Sima Krusheski, Arden Fair Chair, (302) 475-7268.
Artists:
David Burslem will be the 2009 featured artist. Some previously featured artists at the Fair were:
Linda Celestian (2008)
Linda Parks (2006)
Hunter Clarke (2005)
David McClintock, Roberta Perkins and Danny
Schweers (2003)
Musician Schedule at Shady Grove
- 10:30 to 11:30 am
Diamond State Concert Band
The local community band that has been a standard of the Arden Fair for many years.
- 11:45 am to 12:45 pm
Strings of Prussia
A local band with an eclectic mix of up-tempo vocals and instrumentals, featuring high powered bluegrass, but also other genres including Swing, Klezmer, Country, Folk, and Rock.
- 1:00 to 2:00 pm
Rubber Skunk with special guest Frankie V.
Rubber Skunk, a jazz, rock, funk band is made up of Jordan Vincent (keyboard), Grant Fisher (guitar), Tommy Mintel (drums), and Matt Messatzzia (bass). This is the last show before 3/4 of the band moves to NYC to hit the big time. Part of their Arden Fair show will feature guest vocalist Frankie V of Ardencroft. It promises to be a spirited performance. - 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm
Scatologists
Speaking of spirited performances, the Scatologists were formed in 1994 by ex-Ruder Than You guitarist/songwriter, Greg Fain. He assembled some of the most talented musicians that the University of Delaware and its surrounding town of Newark have ever heard. Their trademark "funky ska" packed local and regional venues throughout the 1990's. Blistering energy and good-times party atmosphere are the hallmarks of this band. Other key members of the band included Jon Monck (bass, vocals, toasting), Scott Morris (drums), P.J. Gorenc (lead vocals), Paul Arbogast (trombone), and Matt Hetzler (saxophone).
- 3:30 to 4:30 pm
Kalai King & the Fractured Hearts
Arden’s own Roots-Rocker guitarist, singer, harmonica player, and his lively band. Straight up Roots Rock/Americana.
- 4:45 to 6:00 pm
Porch Chops
After 20 years together, this grand ole band is fresh and rocking (as opposed to spoiled and knitting, I suppose). Porch Chops includes founder and current Ardentown resident Brad Riesau (miscellaneous acoustic and electric guitars, harmonicas, vocals, and sarcastic asides), co-founder Butch Zito (mandolin, guitars, vocals), D. Batteria ( drums and stuff, Chris Salcedo (bass, vocals), and Steve Hobson (guitars and other stringed whatnot's). - Back to Top
The 2008 Fair
The 2008 Fair in review:
After sweating out the path of the tropical depression, we decided to hold the Fair as planned – so glad we did! What a beautiful day. Overall, the Fair did quite well. We had some new captains this year – congratulations to them and their first year. The booths also got face lifts in terms of new banners, thanks Linda Toman and crew. Signage through-out the Fair was updated and colorful, thanks Becky Sutton and crew (Mike). The “beer/wine garden”; mentioned in the News Journal as the Shady Grove, was alive and exciting with everyone showing off their “over 21” wristbands. I liked the term Shady Grove…..
This year, I asked Gordon Hesse, one of the photographers who volunteered, to take pictures of the work involved in setting up the Fair. Click here to see pictures that show young and old working along side of each other. At a couple of points, there are about 20 people, being orchestrated by David Scott, lifting an entire set of booths and moving them to specific spots in the parking lot – what a feat!! There are also a slew of other photographers’ views of the Fair on the site. This year, we had volunteers from as far away as California come to help! I also heard some came from New York. I thank them all.
As I watched the Fair going up and then enjoying (working) the Fair with everyone and talking to vendors the next day, it struck me that the Fair isn’t just about raising funds for the Gild Hall; it’s about everyone; volunteers, vendors and guests having a wonderful time. Thanks again to all who participated.
—Sima Krusheski, Chair, 101st Arden Fair
Google Map
Attention craftspeople!
Area craftspeople are invited to apply for registration in the 103rd Annual Arden Fair to be held Saturday, September 4, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Arden Gild Hall, 2126 The Highway, Arden, Delaware, 7 miles north of Wilmington, Delaware.
Artisans interested in exhibiting may send slides or photos of what they make with a self-addressed stamped envelope to ensure their return, to the Arden Fair Craft Committee, 1501 Beech Lane, Ardencroft, DE 19810 before June 1, if possible. Or, click here to send an email.
If accepted, registration forms are mailed the first week in June with one month to respond, but it is on a first-come, first-served basis, with past exhibitors given preference to previous spaces. The fee per space was $42 in 2009 but may change for 2010 (to be enclosed with registration form) and 10% commission on sales of the day.
We will set aside a cooperative booth for residents of the Ardens and Arden Club members if they would like to share an 8' booth that can accommodate 2-3 artisans; club-member fee, (was $34 in 2009 for may change for 2010), to be shared but each vendor to donate 10% commission on sales of the day.
Past exhibitors need not re-submit photos. Past exhibitors will be notified in early June with registration forms or rejection letters.
Thank you for your interest in the Arden Fair!
--Dorsey Lebeis
Come to the Fair! You Are Welcome Hither!
The Arden Fair was originally conceived as a farewell to summer, in the days when Arden's population shrank perceptibly after Labor Day. Today the fair is the Arden Club's premier fund-raiser of the year, the proceeds going to the maintenance of Gild Hall and to our many activities.
The Arden Club, Inc.
2126 The Highway, Arden, DE 19810
Site design and maintenance, Danny Schweers
Graphics by Connee McKinney & Danny Schweers