EAST COBB — The Catholic Church of St. Ann was filled to the brim with artisans and their homemade merchandise for the 43rd Annual Apple Annie Arts and Crafts Show Friday.
Over 100 crafters from across the state flooded every corner of the church to sell a variety of crafts. While the majority of vendors sold holiday-themed décor, other artists focused on traditional craft show items including jewelry, pottery, paintings, soaps, candles, fabric crafts, wearable crafts and handmade gifts.
In addition to vendors making a profit, the show doubles as one of the church’s biggest fundraisers of the year. All proceeds collected from the show’s entrance fees, bake sale and various raffle drawings will go to local charities in the community.
“(We give away) a homemade quilt and we raffle that off,” said show co-manager Stephanie Kachinske. “Each artisan has to donate a gift from their booth ... and we have two drawings every 15 minutes.”
Last year’s sale raised approximately $30,000. All entrance fees for adults 12 and older were $5.
The St. Ann’s Council of Catholic Women plans and hosts the annual show, with support from the entire St. Ann family.
With nearly 500 volunteers, Church Administrator Dave Smith said fundraisers like this are an excellent opportunity for church members to get engaged in parish life.
Barbara Ward, the show’s other co-manager, said Apple Annie typically draws between 3,000 and 4,000 visitors during its two-day run.
Due to the overwhelming number of visitors, St. Ann’s partnered with St. Peter and St. Paul Episcopal Church along Johnson Ferry Road to use their parking lot during the show.
Show patrons Emily Lee and Kerry DeWolf travel from Clayton and Henry counties to attend the Apple Annie show every year. They have been coming to the show for the last 20 years as an annual Christmas tradition.
Due to their commitment, the pair have formed relationships with many of the artisans.
“These are actually crafts, it’s not the buy-and-sell stuff,” Lee said. “These people actually make what they are selling, so that makes a huge difference for me and where I want to shop.”
As fellow crafters themselves, DeWolf said she and Lee can appreciate the meticulousness, time and effort it takes for each vendor to create their products.
Over at the Krafty Kreations booth, co-owner Kendra Beneigh and her mother Karen Beneigh were selling homemade Christmas decorations from wreaths and centerpieces to Santa Claus figurines and mailbox covers.
The mother-daughter duo have been running their booth for over 30 years, and they’ve been setting up a booth at Apple Annie since the early 90s. They began teaching themselves to craft together when Kendra Beneigh was in her early 20s.
“We have just all these things going through our minds, whether it be snowmen or Santas and elves and gingerbread,” Kendra Beneigh said. “Just whatever the creativity brings.”
Kachinske said Apple Annie is special due to the relationships between the vendors and customers and holiday spirit that the show displays.
“I just love seeing all the happy faces on all the people,” she said. “It just kicks off Christmas for me.”
The Apple Annie Arts and Crafts Show will continue Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. St. Ann’s is located at 4905 Roswell Road.
For more information, visit www.st-ann.org/apple-annie.
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