Festifall ushers in the season

It’s that time of year again, and Festifall is in the air.

The 36th annual Festifall event hosted a variety of activities, including musical performances, public awareness booths, local artisans and a kids’ fun area.

Set up in a closed-off section of West Franklin Street, more than 100 vendors spent roughly five hours entertaining, informing and selling crafts and food to the thousands of visitors.

Several of this year’s vendors used the festival as an opportunity to raise awareness for philanthropic causes.

Zoe Smith, a sixth grader at Grey Culbreth Middle School, spent her first Festifall selling handmade jewelry to raise money for Heifer International, a national nonprofit that provides impoverished families with food-producing animals.

“She’s an 11-year-old working to end world hunger,” said her father, Chris Smith.

Since Zoe was 8, she and her mother have been making and selling earrings, necklaces and bracelets to aid the organization.

“It’s real important that everyone is not rich or anything, but that everyone has food and can live a life,” Zoe said.

A hodgepodge of other vendors aimed to promote awareness of both domestic and global issues.

“We take every opportunity to do public outreach and involvement,” said Trish D’Arconte of the Chapel Hill’s Stormwater Management Division booth.

Groups such as the Stormwater Management Division spent Festifall informing visitors of simple ways to improve their environmental sustainability.

“We talk trash all day,” said Muriel Williman, education and outreach coordinator at Orange Community Recycling. The group’s booth highlighted several artistic attempts to turn trash into decorative creations and shared information about recycling programs in the community.

Event organizers also incorporated several live performances into the festival, including a show by local group SignSations.

The troupe consists of nine girls aged 7 to 12 who performed popular songs in sign language.

SignSations coach Judy Birchfield founded the group in 2001 and has been signing for 31 years.

“This is us reaching out to the community and introducing them to sign language,” she said.

Although Festifall significantly scaled back this year in the number of vendors allowed to sell food, Al and Sue Parker’s flavor-roasted nut stand made the cut.

The Parkers, of Timberlake, have been roasting nuts for 18 years and began two years ago to sell their nuts at festivals around the state.

This was the couple’s first appearance at Festifall.

“I’m sure we’re going to come back because it’s been good so far,” Al Parker said.

   

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