The PA Wilds will showcase handcrafted items by Pennsylvania artisans when the group holds its first Fall Marketplace Saturday at Kinzua Bridge State Park.
The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with vendors set up outside.
The PA Wilds Conservation Shop, local in the Kinzua visitors center, is hosting the event. All 10 or so of the artisans taking part are members of the The Wilds Cooperative of PA.
“It’s a rain or shine event,” said Libby Bloomquist, manager of the gift shop.
Bloomquist said there is “a little bit of everything. The products are all locally made within the 12 ½ counties that make up the PA Wilds.”
It is a juried event, she noted, explaining that cooperative members had to apply.
“It’s a lot of very talented individuals who really take pride in their work,” she said.
Wares will include alpaca products; photography pottery; hand-turned hardwood products such as bowls and vases; products for the home and body made of natural, organic ingredients; handmade knives made from materials including antlers and hardwoods; honey products from two apiaries, one which offers products such as lotions and soaps; and products made of natural materials such as wool, felt, pottery, corn husks and wood.
More information on the artisans can be found at http://wildscopa.org/
“This is something new for us,” Bloomquist said of the event.
The shop opened about two years ago in 2016, and this year it started hosting events, which included a Mother’s Day event, a wellness event in June and now the Fall Marketplace. The shop will host an indoor holiday event in December.
Since opening, the shop relocated and expanded from upstairs in the visitors center to a larger room downstairs. It is the first such shop for the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania. And it’s not just souvenirs, but also handcrafted items by Pennsylvania artisans that would make unique gifts.
Visitors will have no trouble filling their day at Kinzua Bridge State Park on Saturday.
In addition to the artisans, a food truck run by a trained chef — Little Sister’s Big Rig — will sell treats such as hot dogs, hamburgers, elk burgers, quesadillas, homemade ice cream and more.
And, off course, walking around the bridge itself and enjoying the view is an all-season draw to the park.
Bloomquist noted that a portion of the Knox Kane Rail Trail leading from Mount Jewett to Kinzua Bridge will have its grand opening ceremony Friday, and visitors are welcome to stop by the trail.
