Lisa Pearsall couldn’t have asked for better weather for the annual Lansdale Festival of the Arts at Memorial Park on Saturday.
“Everything is great – the weather is beautiful, the artists are all here and it’s a multigenerational event,” said the county’s Parks & Recreation specialist, who organized this year’s event.
In total, 65 vendors from various media showcased their wares in sunny Memorial Park, while the Eric Mintel Quartet provided music in the park. Pearsall said it was the same number as last year, but plans are in the works to expand.
“I want to add more vendors. We’ve had a lot of interest this year and I haven’t been able to accommodate them,” Pearsall said, adding that this is her first year of planning following Joanne Grubb’s retirement.
One vendor, Dan Eby of Lansdale, showcased his fretsaw-crafted wood artwork from Ebydo Handmade Creations.
“I take my pattern, tape it to my wood surface, drill holes and run my blade through each individual spot that I need to work on. Some of these can take hours and hours,” he said. “The average time is two to three hours per piece.”
Eby said he attended the festival for the first time because he is from here, his children attend North Penn University and he wanted to show what he does for a living.
“I’d say we have about 20 new artists this year. Many of them have been at this festival for years,” Pearsall said. “We draw a huge crowd, we have a beautiful venue for it – it’s fantastic.”
Pearsall was glad that the weather held out for the event.
“We have grandparents here with newborns,” she said.
Although the event marks the end of summer in Lansdale, it does not mean the end of fun in Lansdale.
Pearsall said there will be a spectacularly spooky soiree in October and all of the upcoming winter holiday events.
“Events never end in Lansdale,” she said. “This was a last hurrah before the kids go back to school.”
