Arts & Crafts Festival lures hundreds to Sundial

There were so many people at Sundial Recreation Center Friday, it would have been safe to assume Bruce Springsteen was in town.

With hundreds upon hundreds walking the grounds and hundreds more looking for a place to park, there are few events that can attract that kind of crowd.

This particular event was the 38th annual Sun City Arts & Crafts Festival, which routinely draws thousands to the area. And this year was no different.

“It’s hard to even walk around in here,” said Lisa Prince of Scottsdale as she made her way through the auditorium. “I was completely and totally shocked to see this many people.”

Prince said she decided to skip Black Friday this year in favor of the festival, which she discovered through friends.

“I thought it would be much more interesting to give people handcrafted gifts like the stuff they have here, and I’m totally glad I did,” she said. “Some of the stuff for sale here is amazing, and there is so much to choose from.”

The two-day festival, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. today, features more than 40 clubs offering award-winning arts and crafts for sale.

There was no shortage of entertainment, either -- the Sun City Line Dancing Club, the Clown Kitchen Band, the Desertaires, Sun City Stompers, even Elvis himself got into the act.

One benefit of the Arts & Crafts Festival is it gives club members a showcase, where they might otherwise go unnoticed. Take for instance the Mineral Museum, which features minerals and fossils from all over the world. Located in a small space in Sundial Recreation Center, the daily traffic is minimal.

“Depending on the weather, we might see 15 or 20 people come through here,” said Rudy Wolshlagel, a member of the Sun City Rockhounds. “When the festival is going on, we get hundreds of people from all over the place.”

The Rockhounds, like all the clubs with items on display, get a chance to share their creations or collections with thousands of people. And sometimes they even make a little money to help keep their clubs going. To that end, Prince did her part.

“Yes, I bought a lot of stuff,” she said. “Maybe too much.”

Jeff Dempsey may be reached at 623-876-2531 or jdempsey@yourwestvalley.com.