BY LUCIE KRISMAN AND PAGE CRAMER
Brianne Whitehouse wasn’t letting the rain keep her from her annual hunt for unique artistic finds at EudoraFest.
"Part of my favorite thing about it is just watching the people actually doing their crafts out here," the Eudora resident said. "I think it's been really fun, too, for the kids to get to see people working on their crafts."
Event organizer Barbara Tuttle was happy to see the number of event-goers who came to the festival despite the weather.
Saturday’s rain delayed some events and impacted vendor numbers and general attendance. The garden tractor pull event was canceled due to rain. The live music performance on Main Street and the cornhole tournament experienced delays due to rain as well.
“I was pretty pleased with the turnout because of the rain,” Tuttle said. “I knew it would affect it and attendance was still down, but that was to be expected.”
During the event, the smells of funnel cakes, barbecue and freshly popped popcorn filled the air. Vendors from all over northeast Kansas lined the street selling goodies from ornaments and jewelry to paintings and apple cobbler.
Local professional artist Kathy Brecheisen said her favorite part about selling her handmade art is interacting with the community.
"We get to see a lot of our friends and relatives come by and visit with us," Brecheisen said. "More than anything, it's just meeting all the people."
Tonganoxie resident Bill Keithley, a third-year EudoraFest visitor, said the family aspect of the event is his favorite part.
"A lot of families with kids enjoy the different things here. It's fun to see the kids have fun," Keithley said. "We tend to forget to do that as adults."
Kids were given the chance to spin a colorful wheel to earn a prize, sample blueberry muffins, make snow cones, fish for candy and take pictures in front of a photo wall. Some children were more interested in the local artwork.
“The statues are my favorite part, like it reminds me of our dogs and my cats,” said Kaylee Flaherty.
Zeb’s Coffeehouse owner Kathy Weld said she enjoys the annual event and all there is to see and do.
“It’s really cool to see how much stuff is happening in our town that sometimes we don’t see because a lot of the vendors here don’t have a physical store. I’m a big fan of staying local and spending our dollars at home,” Weld said.
Proceeds from this year’s 5K and the cornhole tournament will go toward the Children’s Mercy Hospital. Proceeds from the festival will also go toward a scholarship for a graduating senior at Eudora High School. How much money was raised this year is still being calculated, Tuttle said.
Reach reporters Lucie Krisman and Page Cramer at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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