St. Michael's Church, Litchfield, CT

The Fete & Faire is always a communal effort. This year, our 11th Annual Faire, Huge Thanks go to . . .

The early birds who helped Jo Ann & Alan Jaacks welcome and guide crafters, including Susie Pollock, Stephanie Round, Mary & Dick Loyer and Jen Wyzykowski.

To those who organized and stocked the popular daylong coffee and donut service – Sara Gadomski, Carolyn Spangenberg and Peg Sullivan.

All those who baked, preserved, and harvested and those who solicited and cheerfully sold homemade goods at our Bake Sale, coordinated by Nancy Post, who also inspired the creation of Treasure Tubes to be sold at the children’s area.

Tent donators Karl & Kris Kuegler and those who set up and took down tents, our own and those of crafters.

Karl Kuegler & his Krew at the Oktoberfest Food Booth, who began well before dawn cooking the fabulous pulled pork. The Krew included Karl’s friend Brian, Lisa Losee, Michele Veseskis, George Ziemba, Ed Gadomski, Suzanne Shrady and Barbara Putnam. And special thanks to Peter Aziz who donated propane for cooking.

Volunteers who climbed high to hang signs, moved tables and chairs and everything else that needed to be moved, including those who came the day before, came early in the rain and stayed late to do all the myriad of little tasks that create a Faire.

The Silent Auction crew including Elaine Swanson, Diane Damerau, Agatha Dobbins, Denise Taylor and Martha Babbitt who helped Barbara Balaguer creatively display items in an enticing “Buy me Now!” layout in the library, and all those who donated and bought silent auction items.

To Father Zelley who personally greeted each crafter (and supported a few with purchases!), welcomed visitors and blessed the animals.

To Sarah Melcher who “manned” St. Michael’s hospitality booth.

To Chris Clarke and Lee Cordon, who handled the “clown cashbox” for Dimples the Clown.

And a special thank you to Greg Bachmann and Dymax for sponsoring the fabulous puppet show “Perseus and Medusa” by the Tanglewood Marionettes.

Faire proceeds by church area:
Children’s Area (Dimples the Clown) $121
Coffee & Donuts $186
Oktoberfest Food Booth $1,033
Silent Auction $2,017
Bake Sale $536

The approximate total Faire proceeds are $7500 and will be divided between the Animal Rescue Foundation, the Torrington Community Kitchen and St. Michael’s. Father Bevan Stanley will accompany Jo Ann Jaacks to hand deliver the check to the community kitchen since they are in great need of our help at this time of the year.

Janet Newman's paintings are reminiscent of Georgia O'Keeffe in their use of vibrant flowers and geometric designs.

Janet Newman began her artistic career as a ballet dancer and has achieved widespread recognition as a make-up artist for movies and TV. She has begun using her formal art education to create paintings of unusual depth and perspective, with bright bold colors that dance off the canvas. Many of her paintings are inspired by her own garden and flow in movement capturing her training as a young ballet dancer. She is currently showing in New York and several venues in Northwest CT.

On September 29th, she will join St. Michael’s 11th Annual Fete & Craft Faire as one of our featured artists.

She is also participating in this summer’s Open Your Eyes Tour which offers open studios, displays and demonstrations of the work of 34 artists located in Falls Village, Canaan, Salisbury and Sharon. If you’ve never participated in this fascinating opportunity to meet local artists up-close and personal, don’t miss it this summer on June 23-24. Organized by the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council, the open studio showcases a diversity of fabulous local artists in every media imaginable.  Visit their website for details and a tour map.  www.openyoureyes.org