Shaker Woods festival adds attraction

COLUMBIANA, Ohio – Eastern Ohio’s award-winning family craft festival celebrates 19 years with three exciting weekends, Aug. 11-12, 18-19 and 25-26.

Shopping, food and entertainment, including Sister Jean, the Ragtime Queen, New Wave Cloggers and the nationally-known David Young of Celestial Winds, are featured.

The Shaker Woods Festival, founded to honor the 18th century Shaker community, offers 200 craftspeople, representing artists and crafters from 15 states.

New attraction. This year’s event will feature the new Shaker schoolhouse. This building will be the new home for the Children’s Order. Kids have an opportunity to learn age-old crafts.

The Shaker community was a group of industrious and devout people whose inventions include the washing machine, spinning wheel, flat broom, clothespins, and packaged seeds.

Crafters demonstrate their unique skills without the use of modern conveniences, not even electricity. Crafts are as diverse as basket weaving, blacksmithing, broom making, leather work, painting, pottery, quilts, custom garden stones, plants, toys, jewelry and woodwork.

Entertainment. Entertaining this year are Jean and Paul Huling, known as “Sister Jean, the Ragtime Queen and Laundry Fat,” musicians dedicated to the preservation and promotion of classical Ragtime and New Orleans-style traditional Jazz.

Returning to Shaker Woods is David Young. He plays two renaissance flutes (recorders) at one time in harmony.

Children’s classes. The Children’s Order conducts craft classes for children 6 and older every festival day. This year, four one-hour classes will be offered each day.

There is a small charge for these classes which includes project materials. Inquire at the admission gate for the location of the children’s area.

Adult tole painting classes are scheduled for each day of the festival with Carol Prygo from Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Prygo paints the Barns of American Historical Collection and has 25 years of experience in tole painting.

Festival hours. Hours for the festival are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Daily general admission tickets – $5 for adults – will be on sale at the gate. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

Shaker Woods is located on Route 7, one mile north of the intersection of Route 14, in Columbiana, Ohio.

Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at 1-800-447-8201 or Shaker Woods Festival at 43401 Columbiana Waterford Road, Columbiana, OH 44408; phone 330-482-0214.