HINDSVILLE, Ark. — Just like it's been for the last 70 years, the War Eagle Craft Fair returned to Hindsville on Thursday, Oct. 17.
"My grandparents, Blanche and Lester Elliot, decided that local arts and craftspeople needed a place to display their goods and had a place to sell them," Fred Sutton, the owner of the fair, said.
This year was a little different. The Sutton family, who made the craft fair happen, lost their home in the Memorial Day weekend tornadoes. However, that didn't stop them from working even harder to keep the tradition alive for the thousands who love it.
"It's just been a deal of overcoming and making the decisions that we did. It's been a lot of work," Sutton said.
Sutton said they were working up until Wednesday evening to get things finalized for this year's craft fair.
"The fair started this morning, and we were still putting all the pieces together late Wednesday night to get everything put together," Sutton said.
While this family tradition can be a lot of work, Sutton said it means the world to him and his family.
"We don't really think about it because we grew up with it, you know," Sutton said. "But it's kind of interesting when you talk to people and they're like, 'Oh, the War Eagle Fair ... we've been coming to that for years.' It's kind of your legacy ... It's a neat deal, but it's a lot of work ... It's something we look forward to every year."
Since it started in 1954, the vendors have grown quite a bit.
"We've grown from a few vendors to over 250 vendors," Sutton said.
Many vendors who come from all across the country keep coming back every year because of how much they enjoy it.
"War Eagle is one of the most consistent, growing, successful, well-handled craft shows in the country," William Hamzey, a Texas resident who has been coming to the fair for over 20 years, said.
"My family's been coming to this show ever since I was a kid, so it's pretty cool to now be a vendor and making stuff and being here every year," Ryan Fitsgerald, a 12-year vendor from Tulsa, Oklahoma, said.
"We heard such great things about it," Alanna Weekley, a first-time vendor, said. "We're from Texas, and we had heard that it was an amazing show, and just a lot of like, homemade items, a lot of people, great fun. It's an exciting time. So we wanted to check it out."
The fair will continue through Sunday, Oct. 20. It will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
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