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.