SPRINGFIELD — If gnomes are on your shopping list when attending this weekend’s Mattoon Street Arts Festival on the historic, picturesque street, then Mikki’s Creations is a must stop.
Mikki Reagan is among 100 talented artists and crafters who will be selling their works in several categories, including jewelry, wood/metal, photography, printmaking/painting, ceramics and general crafts/mixed media.
Festival hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A testimony to the friendly atmosphere on the street — residents often help exhibitors to set up or come out to provide a cooling drink — along with the quality of the juried show, organizers have no trouble filling their booth space.
“We fill up very quickly, but there is always some turnaround and this year among the 100 exhibitors will be some 15 new artisans,” said organizer Bob McCarroll, a member of the Mattoon Street Historic Preservation Society, which sponsors the event.
“And we have several additional vendors serving up some delicious new dishes in our food court, as well as new entertainers strolling the street who I think people will really enjoy,” he added.
Among this year’s returning guests, Mikki’s Creations will set up shop for the seventh year.
Owner and artist Mikki Reagan’s creativity began to fully blossom 22 years ago.
“I took a jewelry-making class at Michael’s and afterwards continued to dabble here and there making metal jewelry. I would bring some of my finished pieces to sell to coworkers, and it snowballed from there,” she said.
Eventually, she began bringing her creations to sell at craft shows both big and small, which she’s done for 17 years now throughout New England.
Showing at craft shows became a weekly event that Reagan shared with her late mom, who traveled with her to many different shows.
“This was a special time between us, and I have very fond memories of those days with her. Now my eldest son accompanies me to shows. He helps me to share the joy of what I love to do, while we spend precious time together at these shows as I once did with my mom,” Reagan said.
But it is not so much about jewelry any longer for Reagan, who for the past several years started to incorporate various gnomes and holiday décor into her creations.
“I’ve always liked gnomes. I tried making one seven years ago and my first was really sad looking. But by trial and error I came up with my own style, which is something different from what you normally see out there,” she said. “I think they mimic my personality. They are fun-loving and make you smile. I love seeing the looks on customers’ faces when they find that perfect gnome for their collection.”
Picture this.
An adorable fabric gnome with a tall hat, round nose and a body covered by a white soft beard and short little arms and long legs with the cutest little sneakers attached.
“The sneakers are my favorite,” Reagan said.
Each gnome has their own themes for the season for which they are created, such as Reagan’s fall gnomes, which have autumn-themed hats with legs and shoes to match the colors. Her Christmas gnomes resemble Santa or feature various holiday patterns and little embellishments to make them unique.
“I love to incorporate fairy lights whenever possible, so you may see gnomes made of bright fabrics and fleece or ceramic gnomes that look like they just came out of the garden,” Reagan said.
Those equally adorable woodland gnomes have shiny ceramic mushroom hats of all different colors, while their beards and feet are made of polymer clay. They sit in the grass on a round wood-like base surrounded by wildlife such as butterflies and beetles and colorful plants.
“I always like to add new items to my collection. I also discontinue some items for a while and then bring them back again with upgrades. This keeps it interesting, and customers don’t see the same thing every year,” Reagan said, noting that she recently made a special-order gnome adorned with musical notes fabric for a customer to display in his music room.
New this year, Reagan will be bringing with her a gnome-themed calendar and nightlights.
“I’ve been playing with resins lately to make those nightlights. Some incorporate gnomes, but some are beach inspired, and there are some with butterflies and other cute creatures,” Reagan said.
“My creations are my way of relaxing, and I love to share them with others and see how much they love and enjoy my work,” she added.
Expanded food offerings
The culinary arts also will be well-represented at this weekend’s festival, with booths set to feature Wicked Good Treats, Saltbox Seasonings, Alléchant Macarons, CrèmeBru.la, Sweet Babu’s, Vermont Vermouth, Savor Fine Foods, Journey’s Lemonade, and Honey Bear Tea.
Meanwhile, the festival food court will feature three new vendors this year, including Masa Mexicano, featuring street tacos and street corn bowls and horchata, as well as Crooked Stick Pops and Citrus and Soiree. Other food court vendors will include Crepes Nanou, serving savory galettes and sweet crepes, as well as “The Minou” with eggs, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, spinach, and pesto aioli; Thai Chili Food Truck with Blue Crab Rangoon, spicy tamarind chicken, rice bowls, and Thai fries; Monsoon Roastery; and Moe’s Dogs. Wicked Whisk, an all-plant-based food truck, will be creating favorite ’90’s flavors with a twist, including Pop-Tarts, Hot Pockets, and pizza bites from a vintage RV decked out with custom street art.
Adding a sense of calm to the hustle and bustle of shopping along Springfield’s first historic district will be Joel Meginsky playing the mandolin and clarinet; Over Easy Dixie Jazz Band; William Hart playing the fife; saxophonist Andy Allen; violin player Violin Bone; George David on the accordion; and singers Kayla Rae and Punkin Tube.
Admission to the festival is free.
Mattoon Street is located off Chestnut Street, near the Springfield Museums. Free festival parking can be found in the TD Bank lot on Dwight Street and Harrison Avenue. On-street parking is free on the weekends.
For more information, visit mattoonfestival.org.
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