Situated in the splendid surroundings of the Pavillion Theatre and the Horseshoe at the Winter Gardens, one of the gems of Blackpool’s creative calendar returned this weekend, Dotty Delightfulโs Truly Scrumptious Handmade & Vintage Fair.
If youโve never been along to the previous events, you are missing out on a wonderful display of the work made by many artists and crafters from the local area, and beyond. The event showcases around 130 stalls, lining the Horseshoe and inside the auditorium of the Pavillion Theatre. There is a great and varied range of products available and, as is implied by the name of the fair, much of it is hand made. Not only is there a great deal of variety but much is bespoke and very individual. If you want something different, this is a great place to search it out. There is plenty of hand crafted jewellery on display, to suit all budgets, from fine filigree to Goth, beads to geek-inspired and all styles in between. The art which is available again ranges in style and price, from hand-drawn illustrations, prints, photography and hand painted canvases to caricatures done on the spot. If youโre looking for a piece of artwork for the home, there will be something to match your tastes, and you will be helping out a local artist at the same time! You can also get your art supplies, and there is a stall for the kids to do some crafting, hopefully giving us some new artists and stallholders for the future.
There are bags, buttons and bows of all shapes, sizes and colours, handmade soaps, candles, hair accessories, and leather products. For the pets there are bespoke beds or collars. Products crafted from driftwood and hand crafted metal work can be found, again giving people a chance to have something unique in the home. For the feet, you can find customised trainers or designer wellies for the festival season.
The vintage feel of the event reflects the surroundings of the venue. Besides the stalls selling hand crafted products, there are many stalls catering to people who are looking for something retro. There are a number of clothing stalls selling all manner of vintage items. Pick an era and you can probably find something. Alongside the vintage clothing there is a vast array of memorabilia and vintage collectables, including old cameras, vinyl LPโs, jewellery, photographs, medals, and badges.
To set it apart from many other fairs, and utilising the theatre setting, the very popular tea room is situated in front of the stage, complete with vintage china tea cups, and is the ideal place to sit and relax and watch some of the performers who keep the visitors entertained. The performers range from singers performing old standards and local singer/song-writers taking the opportunity to perform in a beautiful Victorian theatre to dancing troops, including the very popular Tribal Belles belly dancers. Special mention must go to 13 year old singer/song-writer Leoni Jane Kennedy, who performed a song, Butterfly. She is donating the proceeds from the sale of the single to Trinity Palliative Care Services and Brian House Children’s Hospice. For more information take a look at her Just Giving page.
Dotty is taking the craft fair outside over the next few months, with a vintage and handmade market being set up in St. Johnโs Square on the first Sunday of the month between July and November. This will be an ideal way to introduce the fair to the visitors and residents who may not have yet ventured into the Winter Gardens to take a look around the Truly Scrumptious events. All the people involved in the organisation, the entertainment and the stall holders themselves, who put their time and energy into the creation of their wares, need the patronage of the many visitors to the town and the support of the local community. This was my second time at the event as a stallholder and I will hopefully be returning later in the year. It is an event that is definitely worth a visit.
The next Truly Scrumptious fair is 30th November โ 1st December. For more information visit the website.
Show Comments (1)
katrina
Hello, thank you for such a fab review of the fair, I’m Leoni’s mum! We had a wonderful time meeting lots of friendly people, the stalls were amazing and Dotty organised a most memorable weekend, we look forward to attending again! Leoni was very nervous, this was the largest venue she has performed at Although nervous, everyone involved put her at ease, and the applause she received after announcing her efforts to raise funds was astonishing, she was very well supported. We look forward to seeing you all again, thanks for a fab review of a wonderful event!