By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

The streets of downtown Hillsboro had the biggest traffic jam of the year Saturday with 180 arts and crafts vendor booths lining four blocks of Main St. and two blocks of Grand Ave.

So many people crowded onto the streets that it was difficult to find a place to walk.

Parking spots weren’t easy to find. Lots charged $3 to $10 for use.

Besides crafted items, food, Bierock, pie, cinnamon rolls, pork nachos, popcorn, and an assortment of goodies were available.

Serious shoppers pulled wagons to carry their finds.

Fuzzy Mutton Farms sold soap, leather-scented beard oil, lip balm, lotion bars, exfoliating bars, hyaluronic serum, sugar scrub, and milk bath.

Crafter Amanda Schwartz of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, said it was her first year to have a booth at Hillsboro’s Arts and Crafts fair.

“We heard about it through the grapevine,” Schwartz said. “Somebody said it was a good show to come to.”

Another first-time vendor, Alyssa Boss of Abilene, also said it was her first year at the fair.

I usually do farmer’s markets,” Boss said. “I decided to give it a shot.”

She’d like to produce and sell goat’s milk products full-time.

She sells an assortment of soaps, candles, and skin products.

Deon Toy, a Manhattan resident who with his wife, Angela, runs Reme Bees, said this was their second year at Hillsboro.

“I am a master beekeeper,” Toy said.

The pair sells honey, an array of infused honey, soaps, beeswax, beeswax candles, lip balm, shampoo bars, skin balms, and freeze dried treats.

Customers are treated to samples of any product they like.

At Marion’s Art in the Park show, trees in Central Park provided shade for vendors and shoppers.

Steve and Mike Mason had a booth for their second year.

“I like the park. I like the people,” Mike said. “We both like the old buildings.”

The brothers are from Fort Scott.

Ernest White of Assaria and Marty Robbins of Hutchinson also were at Marion for the second year.

“We love the setup here,” White said. “We love this atmosphere here, and we did pretty good this year.”