Ryan Evans | Times Leader
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DALLAS TWP. — A rainy morning certainly didn’t put a damper on spirits or the turnout for Irem’s 37th Annual Arts & Crafts Show at the Irem Pavilion, bringing out about 50 vendors and hundreds of patrons throughout the day.
A variety of proprietors set up shop just outside the entrance to the pavilion, along with Cibo’s Pizza and Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, while dozens more were otherwise pedalling their wares inside.
Mike Ruger and his wife, Patti, have been running the show now for what Mike said was, “our sixth or seventh year.”
Complete with basket raffles, door prizes and a 50/50, Ruger explained, “The event itself benefits the Chief Rabban and Assistant Rabban Potentate Fund. So, this is for their benefit, but it’s a great way that we’ve had to bring the Nobility together with the locals. We’ve got crafters that actually show up from a few states away. And it’s all handmade, handcrafted, and it’s a great selection of everything.”
And speaking of a great selection, patrons had their share of unique displays to check out.
From gourmet popcorn and smoked cheeses, to various knick-knacks and holiday decorations – Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas – to wine, cider, cocoa bombs, and so much more, folks chatted lively, enjoyed free samples and took the day’s findings back to their vehicles, only to come back for another look through the selection.
Marguerite Pugh of Kernel Moonies Gourmet Popcorn Shop, 57 Main St., Luzerne, offered her thoughts to a reporter after a rather delicious free sample of root beer float popcorn.
Pugh has been coming to the Irem Arts & Crafts Show for about the last five years.
“It’s a great thing,” she said, focusing on the event bringing people throughout the community together, getting involved and networking. “It’s a great event.”
Outdoors, Brooke Rakowski was representing her brother, David, and Holy Smoke! of Sweet Valley, who dishes out delectable smoked cheeses and kielbasa.
Rakowski said that Holy Smoke! has been securing a booth at the show for a few years now. “We love it here. We always have a good time and everybody’s nice and friendly,” she added.
And that’s kind of a theme with the Irem Arts & Crafts show. As Ruger pointed out, “everybody’s friends here.”
With the Ruger’s at the helm, and community-backed support, the event has continued to grow over the years from just a handful of vendors. Ruger reflected on a recent iteration of the event. He and his team stopped counting attendance around 1 p.m. – with several hours still left to go – and had already hit 1,000 patrons.
This year seemed no different as folks continuously pulled into the parking lot. Many stayed around, browsing the shops and taking in the conversation and stories of the many vendors.
“The word of mouth is getting out there. We do a little bit of advertising here and there. And the community comes out and supports us,” Ruger noted, and the proof in that statement was abundant in even just a cursory glance around the pavilion.