NORWICH – Nineteen different vendors and crafters from all over the region will take to the sidewalks of North Broad Street in Norwich this weekend, bringing a sense of vibrancy and color to the heart of downtown for the second annual Norwich Merchants Association Spring Crafts Festival.
The Spring Crafts Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, on Saturday. Last year’s inaugural crafts festival was a huge success for vendors and for local merchants who - for a few hours - saw an incredible increase in foot traffic crossing their storefronts. With Mother’s Day this Sunday, hopes are that this year will bring even more people out to see all that downtown has to offer, said Norwich Merchants Association Vice President Linda McNeil.
“We’ll have plenty of items out there ... from vendors selling dog bones to a booth raising funds for Relay For Life,” she said. “And a lot of the vendors we had last year are returning again this year.”
The Spring Crafts Festival has already seen greater response than last year, too. The number of vendors participating has increased, meaning more options for local patrons seeking that one-of-a-kind purchase.
“I think a majority of crafters were very happy with the turnout last year,” said Norwich Merchants Association President Anna McLaughlin, noting that plans are already underway for the next crafts festival, which will be held in October in conjunction with the Pumpkin Festival. “It’s something that we expect to get bigger and bigger every time we have it.”
Following the Spring Crafts Festival? The first cruise-in of the season for the City of Norwich, as hundreds of motorcycles and four-wheeled classics of past and present are expected to roll into the parking lot of the Howard Johnson Hotel beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. While only two other cruise-ins have previously been hosted at the hotel, the tradition is picking up speed and growing more with each occurrence, according to organizer and Howard Johnson General Manager Dana Meyer.
“We are hopeful to have at least 20 to 30 cars and 200 bikes,” Meyer said, who also mentioned an upswing in the amount of community and local business support the event has gained each time it’s held.
The event will feature music by DJ Ryan Revoir and food from local vendors including Bikers Barbecue, the Caboose Diner, and the not for profit charity organization, Under My Skin for Life.
“We will also have a burnout pit for motorcycles only,” Meyer added. The best burnout will earn a trophy to showcase, courtesy of several area business sponsors. Trophies will also be awarded to cars and bikes in the categories of best in show, best paint, and crowd favorite. “It’s a fun event. We hope everyone comes out and enjoys themselves.”