Clear blue skies and mild temperatures drew thousands of visitors to the second annual Short Mountain Arts & Crafts festival at Short Mountain Distillery in Woodbury on Saturday much to the delight of several local vendors, who have watched many of their longtime events get canceled.
Dreams Come True Boutique owner Sarah Collins stood in the shade of her canopy and smiled broadly at potential customers.
“We’ve already sold so much,” she said happily. “I’m really glad we came.”
The women’s apparel Collins had on display was drawing the interest of many passersby. Collins sells her products locally at The Trendy Trunk in downtown McMinnville and The Trendy Trunk Too on New Smithville Highway.
Sweet Suzi’s Blue Ribbon Fudge owner Susan Bain busily helped patrons eager to purchase her fudge.
“I’ve been making the fudge I’m selling today pretty much all week,” Bain said. “I made 75 batches so I have 150 pounds on hand. I’ve already sold half so I’m pretty confident I won’t be carrying any home.”
Bain makes all of her products in her kitchen at her home in the Midway community. She doesn’t have a store where she sells her goods.
“I do fairs, craft fairs, corporate events, and on-demand orders,” said Bain. “For most orders I just need a couple of days’ notice.”
If you’d like to place an order, Bain can be reached by phone at (931) 265-6168.
Up the hill from Collins and Bain, Angela Emberton was hopping from customer to customer selling bags of her freshly made pork rinds.
“I’ve been in the pork rind business my entire life,” Emberton said between sales. “My family has done this for years. I started my own business three or four years ago and it’s going great.”
Emberton makes the pork rinds as needed on the spot. She doesn’t carry them in. She expected to sell 150 pounds of rinds on Saturday and was well on her way to that number by 11 a.m.
“People like that I make them up fresh,” said Emberton. “I cook them in vegetable oil and we’re constantly cooking them all day until they’re gone.”
Emberton lives in Smithville now but she was born and raised in McMinnville. She sells her pork rinds weekly at Bill Page Ball Park in Smithville. Emberton can be reached on her Emberton’s Pork Rinds Facebook page.
