With near perfect fall weather gracing southern Illinois both Saturday and Sunday, it's not surprising that the crowd numbers were good both days this past weekend at the Illinois Wine and Art Festival held on the grounds of the Southern Illinois Artisan Center located between Interstate 57 and Rend Lake near Whittington.
This year's festival featured more than 50 booth holders offering a wide array of artisans selling their creations as well as a number of Illinois wineries providing samples of their products.
Rick and Sherry Capps of Highland were among those in attendance. She said this is a yearly fall weekend getaway for them.
"We've been here several times, five actually, the only one we ever attend," she said. "We come for he wine, the music, the art booths and the setting."
Liz Davidson of Carbondale was there displaying her fiber art, and said she was there again this year after a few years hiatus, but was glad to be back "I'm so glad I came. I already sold a couple of prints and the show just opened," she said.
Meanwhile, just across the grounds, Elizabeth Bernard was busy creating a piece on a tri-loom using alpaca fiber from the alpacas that she and her family raise on their rural Jefferson County farm.
She was there with her daughter, Mica Jones, who was a bit busy herself creating yarn on a spinning wheel nearby.
The mother-daughter duo said that everything in their booth was made with alpaca fiber.
The annual event is designed to showcase both the locally produced wines available in this region as well as giving local artists the opportunity to display and sell their work.
