Even though fog rolled in early Saturday morning, the Arts and Crafts Fair managed to bring in the masses for this year’s festivities.
Hillsboro Police Chief Dan Kinning said that between 35,000 and 40,000 attendees were estimated to have been in Hillsboro, which was down from last year.
“I think last year was between 40 or 45,” Kinning said. “We were still down a lot of people.”
Even though the numbers were down, Kinning said the day went well.
“We had a few minor incidents,” Kinning said. “A couple of EMS calls and parking, but other than that it was a good day.”
This was the first year for Coffee and Scone, a booth selling cups-of-Joe and various baked goods and run by Hillsboro local Austin Calam and his family.
“We felt the booth made a good first impression on fair goers,” Calam said. “We sold almost all of our freshly baked scones and a good amount of coffee as well. When we first began serving, we couldn’t keep up with the hot coffee orders.”
Since this was Calam’s first year, preliminary work had to be done, such as creating a sign and perfecting their java.
Calam said their biggest downfall was overestimation.
“We planned on selling almost twice as much coffee as we sold,” Calam said. “Luckily for us, we’ve been selling the leftover grounds and cold brew concentrate to our fellow coffee drinkers. After our first year, we now have a better understanding of our customer base that will inform us for the future.”
This was the 14th year as a vendor for rural Hillsboro resident Brenda Jordan, and she said it was a good year.
“Fair goers loved the morning and the coolness,” Jordan said. “They come to buy until about 2 p.m. when the sun hits.”
Jordan sells baby and nursery items at her booth, and enjoys seeing familiar faces from previous years.
“It’s always good to see repeat customers and neighbors that return,” Jordan said. “It becomes a real family affair.”