Lowell Folk Festival

Today's Tip: A nail clipper works as a simple tool for snipping yarn and threads. Sometimes you don't want to use scissors. Perhaps you are worried about little hands being injured, or you don't want a scissors poking through your bag. Although some scissors are allowed on airplanes now, you may prefer to play it safe and take a nail clipper (see http://www.airsafe.com/danger.htm). And, if you need a scissors and don't have one with you, it's more likely that someone else will have a nail clipper than a scissors.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day attending the Lowell Folk Festival. It features folk music, ethnic foods, and crafts demonstrations. All the performances are free, and there are many food stations run by non-profit groups. There are events going on in There were also children's activities and local businesses and museums had sidewalk sales and information.

The craft area featured demonstrations by expert artists from Massachusetts. Since I am most interested in crafts involving fiber, my favorite was rug hooker Jeanne Fallier.

She doesn't just hook flat rugs. Above is a picture of a hooked turkey!

There were two kinds of basket artists featured as well. Milt Lafond's, New England Pounded Ash Basketry:
and Aquinnah Wampanoag Twined Basketry by Julia Marden:

Other crafts included Puerto Rican Vejigante Masks, Wildfowl Decoys, Ship's Wheels, Puerto Rican Santos Carvings, Polish Pysanki, Quill Work and Native Regalia, Wooden Boats, Metalsmithing, Hand-Carved Signs, Sheet Metal Workers, Chinese Seal Carving and Calligraphy, and Cambodian Ceramics.

But the best thing of all was seeing so many people enjoying themselves. All of downtown was blocked off to traffic and it felt like a huge neighborhood party!

The Folk Festival ends today, Sunday, July 27. It is an annual event, generally held the the 2nd or 3rd weekend in July.