It’s a bit after-the-fact, but one of our first shows this summer was Crafts in the Grove, an event held by the Upper Lehigh Lions Club in Neffs, PA. It was a wonderful event in a fabulous location.

Check-In
When we arrived on site, we joined a queue of vehicles waiting to be checked in and directed to their individual sites. We were given our site number and directed by a series of lovely men with walkie-talkies. It was clear from the smoothness of the process that they’ve been doing this for some time - in fact, this was the 13th annual show.

Location, Location, Location
As evidenced by its name, the entire event is held in a beautiful grove outside Neffs United Church of Christ. There was plenty of shade and just enough sunshine filtering through the trees to make for a gorgeous atmosphere. Our neighbors to the right, whose names I have unfortunately forgotten, were lovely women who had been selling painted wooden holiday items for as long as the show had been running. There were a great variety of crafts and other items for sale, including local honey and produce, felted wool dolls, and of course plenty of jewelry. The jewelers were well-spaced, which was nice to see.

And Oh! the Facilities!
It never would have occurred to me to comment on the bathrooms at an event. In hindsight, however, in comparison to some other events we’ve done, the Upper Lehigh Lions Club wins the Best Potty of the Season award from me. There were more than enough port-o-johns for the crowds; their location was central to traffic but at the same time hidden away in their own mini-grove; and they had a line of pump-and-rinse portable sinks set up outside. Clean and adequate facilities (with real soap and water to boot) - it’s a shame that this is worth mentioning, but it really, really is.

Recommendations
I recommend this event to all crafters, both seasoned and just starting out. It’s an affordable, nicely-trafficked event (1,200 people this year) that is impeccably organized and smoothly run. The only caution I have for new crafters is that this event will spoil you! Not all events are this well-run. We signed up for next year’s show before we left this year’s - I hope to see you there.

More Info
Next year’s show will be held on July 25, 2009. The cost is $35 for a 12×12 space. It is a juried show, so you will need to submit 3 photos of your craft. (Handmade only!) For more information, contact Larry Snyder at 610.767.2410, or email craftsinthegrove at entermail dot net.