10/10/2019
A season of abundance invites everyone to share. On Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13, the Rochester Folk Art Guild will host its annual Fall Open House and Apple Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. This year’s Open House and Apple Festival will feature local vendors along with a homegrown Farm lunch and fresh baked artisan bread for sale, with wood, pottery, graphic arts, and weaving studio tours and demonstrations. Fresh organic sweet cider, pressed from just-picked apples throughout the day, will also be available for purchase, as will fresh pears and table grapes from the Guild’s orchards and vineyards.
New from the Woodshop this year are ceremonial vessels inspired by the Scottish quaich, a turned wooden bowl with carved handles used in a marriage ceremony. The Pottery studio will feature carved celadon porcelain, leaf-print work, and crackle glaze in a full range of functional stoneware pieces. Pottery classes for all ages, adults included, will be given both days, by talented local potter Mandy Ranck of Phelps. Clothing Design studio will show the magical results of eco-printing designs on silk. The leaf transfer process has been used to embellish women’s tops, scarves, and eye pillows.
The East Hill Gallery, the Guild’s on-site sales shop displaying all of the Guild’s handwork, will be open for its regular weekend hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. An intriguing collection of books for all ages adds to the offerings. The vendors at the Apple Festival include Jay Freer of Geneva, a local stone fruit orchardist, who will be offering sales and tastings of his plum and cherry preserves, and Colleen Runner from Inspired Designs who uses antique barn wood, vintage tools, and found objects to make one-of-a-kind signs and whimsical sculptures.
Admission is free both days, so bring your family and friends to witness the seasonal splendor and share some abundance. The Guild is known far and wide for its great food. For more details, visit folkartguild.org.
The Rochester Folk Art Guild is a not-for profit arts community and educational institution that began its work in crafts 60 years ago. Located for the last 50 years on a 350-acre farm in upstate New York’s Finger Lakes Region, the Guild has grown to receive worldwide recognition for its handcrafts which have found their place in museums, private collections, shops, and galleries throughout the United States and abroad. The Guild offers workshops for adults and conducts educational outreach programs for children. Apprenticeships are available for adults and young people who are searching for a practical, hands-on approach to learning and living. Working alongside experienced master craftspeople, apprentices learn proficiency in a craft and how to live alongside others in a community setting.
