Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 129, Number 29, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 20 July 2006 — Page 14

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Explore Wa-Nee • July 27,2006

Rain clouds the 2005 Arts & Crafts Festival

By Anthony Gadson . Editor "Rain. Sun. Rain. Sun. Rain. Rain. Rain. Sun." It may seem like a new form of Morse code, but it could just as well be Amish Acres founder Dick Pletcher's weather log for last year's Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival. "It couldn't have been much worse," Pletcher said about the weather. "Usually at this time of the year, you get about 20 minutes of rain, then the sun will come out for a few hours. This year, the storm front was here for four days." With the rains coming and going at the drop of a hat, the crowds were a bit down this year, but after putting on the festival for 43 years, Pletcher knows you can't plan the

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weather. "You just have to take it for what it's worth," he said. "You just don't usually see four days of persistent rain." There were 384 exhibitors at the festival, but with the poor weather, some of the pieces of work were showcased in less than perfect condition. "We had a lady here from Washington who sells dried flowers built into wooden frames," Pletcher said. "The humidity this year basically destroyed them." The crowds were also less inclined to visit Nappanee with the storm front coming and going so much, that it could have been raining in South Bend, with the sun shining in Nappanee. "It was very difficult," Pletcher said. While the festival could have

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTO/A.W. GADSON The 2005 Amish Acres’ Arts & Crafts Festival Best of Show winners were Charles Sizemore’s twodimensional “Farm Scene” (left) and Dawn Kizer’s three-dimensional Fused Glass Plate.

had larger numbers with better weather, the sheer idea of a festival its size even existing to Pletcher back in 1968 would have seemed like a stretch. The first Arts & Crafts Festival was actually part of Nappanee's Sidewalk Days

back that year. At that time,

Pletcher's furniture store was operating out of the present day Liz's Furniture Shoppe, 252 W. Market St. Instead of placing his furniture out on the sidewalk like other merchants, Pletcher ins'tead placed clothes lines between each column in front of the store in order to put up artwork that youths drew will taking a class with the Nappanee Parks

• Nappanee Elementary School 755 E.-Van Buren St 773-7421 • Wakarusa Elementary School 400 N. Washington St. 862-2000

Department. Along with the artwork, Pletcher also gave away lemonade and doughnuts. "After we finished, I realized we could have given away double the amount that we did," he said. So for year two, Pletcher built display walls out of chicken wire, which could display professional artwork, then be folded up and put away. Like 2005, the second year was also hit with rain, which resulted in many people grabbing up the artwork and carrying into the storage trailers to keep it safe. "I remember thinking that it was something I'd never do again," Pletcher said. Pletcher did put on the festival again the following year, when a man asked-him if he could sell his polished rocks across the street from the festival. It was then that Pletcher got the idea to have a marketplace at the festival. In the coming years, dancers and other entertainment was added to the festival until it was finally moved to the current Amish Acres location in 1975. ‘ During the first few years at

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Amish Acres, the festival was only held in the front portion of the area. Three years later, the festival had to be moved to the back portion of the property. At first Pletcher didn't want to move the festival back by the pond. "I didn't think people would want to walk that far," he said. People showed that they were willing to make the walk, and before long, the entire pond was surrounded by exhibitors. While the festival has continued to grow, it is now just about at its max. "We had 384 exhibitors this years, and we can't go much higher than that," Pletcher said. The biggest restriction on expanding the festival just may be the parking. Currently Nappanee Police Officers help to direct traffic off of U.S. 6 into the festival. "(Nappanee Police) Chief Mike Anglin is really good to work with," Pletcher said. "We pay for them to be here, so the city doesn't have to pay for it. We coordinate throughout the See ARTS & CRAFTS, Page 5

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