Castleberry Fair – Country Design Home

It’s Wanderlust Wednesday, and this week we stayed close to home! During the last official weekend of summer, it was essential to get outside and enjoy the glorious New England weather. We ventured down to the Topsfield Fairgrounds

for the Castleberry Fair. Now, anyone from the New England area knows of the Topsfield Fair, the oldest country fair in the US, dating back to 1818. For 10 days every fall, these fairgrounds are home to carnival rides, livestock of all shapes and sizes and farmers vying for the grand prize in the Giant Pumkin Contest. These would make quite some Jack-O-Lanterns!

This weekend’s Castleberry Fair was a smaller sampling, with pop-up tents set amongst the (now empty) livestock and harvest barns. With handcrafted goods of all kinds, food trucks and a little country music, the fair was a nice way to spend a couple of hours in the warm afternoon sunshine. Whenever I attend these events, I always try to find something new, something out of the ordinary, something that you would not see at your local retailer. Todays finds included: Sue Handman Collage Art. A unique collection of hand-decorated clothing and bags.

With loads of cute quotes and vintage photos printed on fabric for a one-of-a-kind look.

Lovely. Felted. Feathered. Flowered hats from Blue Moon Design Studios of Wethersfield, Conn.

Docksmith Shop creates these organic docking stations for anything “i”- phones, pads or pods. Made from driftwood and rootwood, they are perfect for an eclectic, natural decor. Their slogan: ::plug into something real:: LOVE.

Hebert Honey David J. Hebert, from Oxford, Mass. offers a wide range of products that are 100% natural and organic.

You had me at Alpaca. This adorable face drew me into the booth of Clark Summit Alpacas from Deering New Hampshire.

The lovely Kari Lewis, co-owner, shared her story of the farm and its origins. They breed the alpacas for sale (check out their “alpacas to love” link, or to harvest their soft, luscious wool that is spun into skeins of yarn. From this wool they create stunning shawls, clothing and home accessories. Do you think Coach might consider adding an alpaca for the barn workshop?!

We’ve seen lots of alphabet photgraphy, framed into words, but these from Creative Letter Art are in a class of their own. Original, artistic, colorful photos are presented in specific genres: neon, beachy, architecture, musical. You can order your words directly from the website. This 3D wire mesh sculpture art from Peter Robinson-Smith was dramatic and eye-catching.