Vendors display wares at Cabin Fever Craft Show

IRONWOOD - While vendor turnout may have been down a little from past years, people seemed to leave the Pat O'Donnell Civic Center happy Saturday for the annual Cabin Fever Craft Show.

"It was a good crowd. People were happy, vendors were happy with the traffic of people," Civic Center General Manager Brian Roehm said.

Now in its 18th year, Roehm said the craft show featured 48 vendors. While this is down from the 60 to 65 vendors he usually has, Roehm said the vendors that did show up were generally pleased with the crowds.

"Everyone I talked to said there was a steady flow of traffic and people were buying," he said.

The event drew people from around Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula, according to Roehm, including Bayfield, Iron River, Stevens Point and Minneapolis.

"People come from all over," Roehm said.

Shoppers had a chance to browse the wares of a mix of vendors who have been at past shows and those who were there for their first time; as Roehm said he generally gets five to 10 new venders each year, while five to 10 of his regulars can't make it for various reasons each year.

The money raised from concessions and vendor registrations go to help pay for advertising the show and other costs related with putting on the event, according to Roehm, helping make it a largely self-supporting event.