The halls of Nottingham High School were hopping Saturday afternoon.
The 44th annual Plowshares Craftsfair & Peace Festival was in full swing, and artisans, artists and people who wanted to admire their work filled the school's cafeteria and gymnasium and spilled into the hallways in between.
Yes, it was a peaceful bunch. Of course. This event is the biggest fundraiser every year for the Syracuse Peace Council, and many of the people bringing their ware for sale and perusal in the booths and patronizing the event seemed to subscribe to that unifying theme. Peace signs and declarations to act accordingly were everywhere.
The parking lot was full, requiring a bit of circling to find somebody pulling out before my dear wife Karen could pull her car in at the way-back portion just a bit past noon. The line to get to the admission table was long. But everybody was friendly at the sign that explained seniors got in free and the sliding scale was set at $2 to $5 for everybody else. The volunteer graciously gave thanks that I wanted nothing back from my $10 for two.
Entry snaked into the bright cafeteria first, and Karen quickly found some small handmade soaps wrapped in Go SU paper she purchased for gifts to come, and something she eyed for herself, too, a delightfully scented lavender satchel, all at Syracuse Soapworks.
I was content admiring the work and snapping photographs with my iPhone 6. The intriguing painted wood carvings by Mary Michael Shelley caught my eyes. A banner that proclaimed "For Love of the World We Hammer Swords into Plowshares -- Nation Shall Not Lift Up Sword Against Nation -- Neither Shall They Learn War Anymore" and the women sitting in front of it had to be captured for passing along. The Mosi Village showcased interesting pieces. Tiny pots were as the sign advertised, and I wondered about how I would apply the rest of the slogan, "so many uses!"
The vibe was different that the summertime Arts and Crafts Festival, where sprinkled among local crafts people where east coast -- or even further sprawled -- artisans for which the Columbus Circle stop apparently was one visit among many in a summer full of displaying and selling their work. This was more intensely local.
I stopped to look over some of the odd and unique things put together at Repurposed Things.
David B. Goldman of Manlius, the man who did the repurposing and the building, sat with his art.
"Yes, it is fun," he said as I stopped to chat. "I love taking things apart and putting them back together."
Along the rows, I collected cards from interesting people had just as interesting displays, and all of the phone numbers had 315 as the area code. Jennifer Locke, designer/creator of Jennifer Locke Designs, whose women's brooches jewelry is also available at the Art Mart in the downtown Syracuse Atrium. Sharon Bottle Souva who makes fabric handiworks. Alice Young, of AliYo upcycled sweaters.
Inside the gymnasium, an interesting orange hue from the lighting brought a different tint to my photographs, but the atmosphere was even more brisk, thanks to live music provided in one corner by the four musicians in the Methodist Bells.
There is a man in our world today that makes wooden spoons. His name is Barry Gordon, and he has great concentration.
The two volunteers in the New York Civil Liberties booth were quick to move aside so the messages on the T-shirts hung behind them could get better display for my iPhone camera.
You can find these folks by clicking the Peace Council's link for the event. They're all around these other 51 weekends of the year, too. Peace.