Craft crowds descend on Ste. Genevieve for Jour de Fete

WANT TO GO?

What: Jour de Fete

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today

Where: Downtown Ste. Genevieve

Details: Call (800) 373-7007 or (573) 883-7097

KNICK-KNACK HEAVEN

By Jeremy Joffray ~ Southeast Missourian

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- For one weekend out of the year, historic downtown Ste. Genevieve is transformed from a peaceful area rich in history and culture into a bustling knick-knack heaven.

Held on the second full weekend of August each year for the last 37 years -- except for the flood year of 1993 -- the Jour de Fete is hailed as one of the largest craft festivals in the Midwest. The weekend includes food, beverages and live entertainment.

For people like Betty Lipe of Carbondale, Ill., the multitude of crafts is well worth a little time in the heat.

Lipe said she has been coming to the festival for several years with a couple of friends to get out of the house and away from their husbands for a day.

"I love craft fairs, and I'm always looking for something different to do," she said.

The Jour de Fete, or "day of festival" as it translates, welcomes local vendors from Illinois and Missouri as well as other craft merchants from as far away as Mississippi, said Terry Bieller, a festival volunteer.

The festival has around 500 crafts booths and may see as many as 20,000 visitors depending on the weather, she said.

Some vendors have been coming for as many as 20 years now, she said.

There is plenty to do for people who aren't looking to shop. Live bands play throughout the weekend, and there are many French-colonial experiences on display at the crafts booths, such as soap-making, leather and metal work. Today, auto enthusiasts can attend the 12th Annual Classic Cruisers Car Show.

Larry Wood of Festus, Mo., said one of his favorite parts of coming to the Jour de Fete is just watching the people and the reactions of children.

"You can see all the different cultures here," he said.

Besides the French-colonial presence, the festival also has a German band as well as Native American music.

But what was a German band doing at a largely French-themed festival?

"Have you ever heard of a French band?" asked John Wibbenmeyer, a trumpet-playing band member from Ste. Genevieve.

The Jour de Fete also has a wide variety of food and beverage choices. Beer and wine made at the local winery were flowing for adults. Anna Hall of Farmington, Mo., made her first trip to the Jour de Fete Saturday and said she came away impressed with the kettle corn.

The festival also brings friends and relatives together. Wood said that in the five years he has been coming to the festival, every once in a while he will run into old high school classmates that he hasn't seen in over 40 years.

It's like a small, annual reunion, he said.

But the crafts are still the star of the show, everything from woodwork and furniture to homemade quilts.

Kent Batson, of West Plains, Mo., said he attends many craft shows with his wife and daughter. He said Jour de Fete is one of the largest and most well organized craft shows he has experienced.

But Batson isn't as concerned about going from booth to booth inspecting crafts. He said he enjoys the festival food and leaves the shopping to his wife and daughter.

jjoffray@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 171