Columbia’s 24th Annual Festifall Means Fun and Excitement For All! for All!
“I’ve sold three pumpkins today!” exclaims Clay Wright, a third-grade student from Ceres.
Story and photos by Greg Kristapovich
There’s no other harvest festival – make that festifall, quite like Columbia’s held on October 11th and 12th in Columbia State Historic Park! More than fifty vendors displayed and sold a wide array of items, from “spoon rings” and hand-painted tote bags to hand-woven shawls, paintings, pottery and soy candles! Columbia Candy Kitchen churned out the delicious caramel apples! Meanwhile, continuous entertainment enchanted the throngs of Festifall-goers! The air was filled with melodies produced by Sequoia, a Celtic trio; The Rose Creek Ramblers; Parson Brown; Cactus Bob and Prairie Flower and harpist Bonnie Barnum. Lisa Marie brought her guitar into the Jack Douglas Saloon and performed country and blues-influenced music that was, in her words, “kinda folksy, and with some modern songs, too. Acoustic variety, I call it!” It was as much a music festival as much as an arts and craft fair – and totally enjoyable!
The Rainbow Cloggers and Carousel Cloggers clogged together, and were in top form! Lead clogger Althea Mason explains their dance: “It started in the hills of Kentucky a long time ago. It’s a mixture of Irish dancing, along with German, Russian and English dancing; and it evolved over the years!”
The “Sugar Shack Girls” from Sugar Pine come to the Festifall every year! Here, Emily Hartle, 10 and Lilian, 4, model their new 1850’s-style dresses! “Our mother, Alicia, buys us a new dress every year from Columbia’s Fancy Dry Goods! I think it’s pretty cool! I just like old-fashioned stuff!” Emily exclaims. “I want candy!” little Lilian insists.
“We set up the loom every year,” says Sheila Stanger of the Mother Lode Weavers and Spinners. “The children come and each weaves about two inches. Then, we mail it out to them!” Sheila explains. “I have children who come back every year! I’ve been doing this for about four years. I’m only a half-step ahead of the children. I’m a beginner weaver –which makes me perfect for the job!” Here, Sheila is seen instructing her young weavers, Sierra Rodriguez (left) and Nicole Kabaluk, both of Newman.
