“The weather really hurt us this year,” said library manager Cala Glatz. “Foot traffic was way down. If it had not been so cold, it may have been better.”

A cold rain fell throughout the day and many of the vendors agreed that business was slow. “It’s been kind of slow today,” said Brenda Stoddard who makes containers out of resin. “I think the weather has been keeping people away.”

Joy Maisner who operates the store “Choose Joy in your Gnome” said her business was so-so. “I was here for the craft fair in November and it was great. I think the time of year and the weather kept people away,” she said.

Still, Maisner said she had a good day. “I enjoy the people and the location,” she said. “It’s just a friendly little town.”

Rachel Peace, Kjrstin Conklin, Tasha Irwin and Robin Conklin, a.k.a., the Wyrd sisters, have become a regular fixture at the Spring Craft Fair.

Glatz said that the peak of business is around lunchtime. “A lot of people came in then and many stayed to visit at the tables, and there were a lot of kids doing crafts,” she said. “But then it slowed to a trickle after that.”

Glatz said she was featuring Mother’s Day crafts at the library table. Plus, she added, there were tickets for the Lottery Trellis raffle, which was new this year. Trellis is the fundraising platform helping organizations raise more with their raffles and auctions.

Tickets for the Lottery Trellis raffle were available before the craft show at the Our Own Candle Company Outlet Store and at the library. The prize was an Amazon Echo Dot. “Spring has always been a little difficult,” Glatz said. “I look for ways to spice it up.”

There were 33 tables occupied by 22 vendors, including at least seven first-time sellers. Despite the low turnout, everyone seemed cheerful. “Business has been all right,” said first-timer Hailey Crossley. “I’m here to support the library. I really enjoy the library programs,” she added.

Rachel Peace, Kjrstin Conklin, Tasha Irwin and Robin Conklin, also known as the Wyrd Sisters, said they always have a good time at the craft fair. “It’s been very slow but we love being here and we love the customers,” said Kjrstin Conklin. “We’ve always got something new. Any time we see a new craft, we try it.”

Debbie Grove, Joy Maisner and Mary Ann Komar were all vendors at the spring Craft Fair.

Kay Dankovich of Jamestown said that even though things were slow, they could have been worse. “I love talking to the customers,” she said. “And we do this to help support the library.”

Jim Schoenfeldt of Show-N-Felt Creations said they had a good day despite the slow traffic. He and his wife, Sandy, have been attending craft fairs in Findley Lake for more than 25 years. “I missed the fall show; that’s the first time we missed it here in probably 25 years,” he said.

The Schoenfeldts make Microwavable Moist-Heat Cherry Pit Pillows that are FDA approved medical appliances. “It was in 1986 when I created the original cherry pit pillow,” he said. “It was made with the intent of relieving my wife of cold feet due to poor circulation.”

In the end, the homemade food, the auction, in which each vendor contributes one of their items, the array of hand-crafted items and the fact that it benefits the library keeps many people coming back each spring. “The homemade food always does well,” Glatz said. “I think a lot of people enjoy the fact that we offer not just pies, but cupcakes and cookies, as well.”