The Siloam Spring’s community members and local vendors gathered for the Homegrown Festival in Downtown Siloam Springs this past Saturday, Oct. 8. The festival opened the fall season with live music, food trucks, and pumpkins. Homegrown is one of the many events Main Street Siloam  organizes to support local small businesses in the downtown area. There were local artists, handmade crafts and curated and refurbished vintage clothes booths.

For some vendors, this was their first time participating in the Homegrown Festival. Deyna, a talented local creator of handmade crochet plushies, debuted her crafts for the first time at the festival. When asked about her participation, Denya said her experience had been “pretty good so far, and the traffic has been good too!” She continued saying how much she enjoyed meeting new people and spending her day with her friends.

Susan Gilbert, a farmers market member and local handmade crochet accessories vendor, has been involved in the Homegrown Festival for six years. “Last year, there was a lot of rain, and few people showed up. Today, I was very impressed about how crowded the Homegrown was,” Gilbert said. Bright skies and sunshine brought ideal weather to this year’s festival. Gilbert’s experience in the Homegrown festival has been wonderful, with her favorite part being “meeting new people and listening to the music, which has been phenomenal,” she said.  

Gilbert’s handmade crochet accessories take between three and four hours to make, depending on what she makes. She enjoys crocheting anywhere, including on road trips, while watching TV, or when her students are finishing their classwork. “I enjoy getting new yards and working on new patterns,” Gilbert added.

Shelby Brewer, a sophomore majoring in Art and Illustration at JBU, attended the Homegrown Festival for the first time. She “loved meeting all of the vendors there.” When asked about what she enjoyed most about the festival, Brewer said “I enjoyed spending time with my friends walking downtown and seeing local handmade items. It brings me joy to know that small businesses are being supported.”

She was thrilled to support her friends at the Plein Air Painting competition. “I would most definitely encourage people to go next year! I’m definitely going myself,” she said.

Photo courtesy of Abby Trinidad at City of Siloam