By Jared Janzen
HALSTEAD—With more than 30 vendors expected for the 54th annual Brick Street Arts and Crafts Festival, there should be plenty of reasons to come and do a little shopping in downtown Halstead this Saturday. But, if you needed one more reason to get out of the house, this year’s festival will feature a performance by the Corry Academy of Irish Dance.
“They actually reached out to me,” festival organizer Amy Beck said. “They haven’t been able to get out and dance much because of COVID, so they’re looking for opportunities. It was just too fantastic for me to pass up.”
The Corry Academy of Irish Dance is located in Kechi and has competed all over the world over the past two decades, having won championships at the local, regional, national and world levels along the way.
They’ll be performing in Halstead at 11 a.m. near city hall.
The Brick Street Festival will run from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., this Saturday in the 200 block of Main Street. Vendors will be selling a variety of homemade or handcrafted items, from laser engraved items to fused glass, to salsa, jams and jellies, Christmas items, handmade soap and more.
Beck noted that the middle school PTO is still accepting items for a silent auction. She added that the library will be having used books for sale that day and other local businesses may be running sales that day, as well.
KPTS Channel 8 will also be in town that afternoon to do a special about the festival for its Positively Kansas TV show.
The following is a list of vendors who have signed up for the event:
• Brick Street Information Booth
• Brick Street Kids Crafts
• Halstead Community Foundation – informational booth, raffle
• Sunflower Woodworkers Guild – demonstration and interactive woodworking
• Creative Stitches – embroidery
• Unique Crafts – yard art from repurposed glass
• Personality by Zoll – Christmas stockings, magnets, lanyards, wristlet key holders, burp pads, elastic hairbands & bracelets, inexpensive jewelry making for kids
• Cathy Schneider – framed photos, canvas prints
• Warrior Wife Creations – polymer clay earring, photo boxes, wreaths
• Martha Gartner – pickles, salsa, honey, jelly
• Lynette’s Interiors – window treatments, pillows, flower art with paper, Christmas ornaments
• Bill Bush, Author
• Julee’s Glass – fused glass art
• Skeeter Bug Creations – homemade crafts, vinyl & sublimation on cups, towels, t-shirts, crochet, bleached flannels and tees
• Cedar Brook Soap – handmade soaps, bath bombs, body butter, totes, scrubbies
• Mama Jules Salsa
• Runneth Over – local fresh fruit and produce, hand canned products, baked goods
• Floating Lotus by Karli – custom designed tops, home décor, and plants
• South 80 Boutique – custom laser-engraved items
• Quarantine Boredom – earrings by Cheyenne, wooden wine holders, glass painted candy jars, candle holders & wine bottle lights.
• Salted Creamery – small batch handmade ice cream
• Farrell Bees – local honey
• A bit of earth – dried and fresh florals
• Crema Roastery – coffee
• A Division of Henry’s Chase – hand drawn artwork and vintage items
• Cornman BBQ – roasted corn, brats, and hotdogs
• Bin Thrown Pottery – wheel thrown pottery
• Third Street Saw Shop and Millspaugh Woodworks – hand crafted and CNC products including cutting boards, flags, signs, clocks, and more
• Corry Academy of Irish Dance – performance at 11 a.m.
• HMS PTO – fundraiser with breakfast, baked goodies, and a silent auction with items from locals businesses such as: Champs Meats, Halstead Floral, Chelsea’s Cakes & Catering, Creations by Cindy, Mom Cave Designs and more
*The Empty Forge – blacksmith
*Barry’s Box Truck Art Gallery – paintings
*Anne Eason
*not 100% confirmed yet.
