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LAKE MILTON -- The crafts, food and lakeside view brought thousands to the Lake Milton Women's League's sixth annual Arts & Crafts at the Beach show Saturday at the beach off Grandview Avenue.
More than 120 vendors began setting up at 7 a.m. for the 10 a.m. opening, and the show attracted local and out-of-town enthusiasts from as far away as Sharon, Pa., Meadville and Cleveland.
Kaye Smith of Cleveland has been sewing since 2020, but this was her first time setting up as a vendor. She found out about it after researching craft events in the area. She said her love for art was what motivated her to get started after years of attending past events.
"I've been into art for a lot of my life, and I've kind of had the dream of starting a business with it, kind of trying to get something off the ground," Smith said. "I've been to a lot of craft festivals in my years, and I always thought it'd be super cool to come and sell at one, so I finally decided 'hey, what about I make that a reality?'"
Smith explained that her creative process begins with taking something she loves and messing with its properties.
"So it starts with a bit of inspiration. I think about an animal that I'm a big fan of. I'm a big fan of a lot of marine animals; I got squids and sharks. And I try to accentuate the properties I see in them that are the cutest, like the fins," Smith said. "I make them pop out, stand out, then I just choose some fabric colors, play around making some stencils, then sew it together.
"Sometimes I have to do a few iterations and edits. The squids took me a long time to get right, but from there I mostly have the process down and repeat that for each new one."
Rebecca Lewis of Lake Milton attended the event with her husband, Dan. She said she attended because the craft show was one of her favorite beach events, and she was looking for items for her daughter, who loves dragons. She said her favorite part of the event was seeing the unique crafts that people took their time making, as well as running into friends and neighbors.
Longtime Women's League member Donna Loomis said the proceeds will go to the new gazebo near the town hall, which members have spoken about at Milton trustees meetings this year.
While the show ran until 4 p.m., Loomis said people left earlier because of the impending inclement weather.
A raffle was held for a kayak filled with alcohol. Funds raised by entries went toward supporting the gazebo project.