Greenbo to Host Hand-Crafted Weekend April 13-14
By: Kathy Clayton
The Ashland Beacon
Pottery, quilts, jewelry, musical instruments, and more will be on display during the Hand-Crafted Weekend April 13-14 at Greenbo Lake State Park.
“The quilt show at Greenbo is a long-standing tradition, and it is still the anchor attraction of Hand-Crafted Weekend,” said Anne Stephens, Community Arts Agent for the Greenup Cooperative Extension Service.
The event runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday and includes demonstrations by the artisans. Musicians will perform near the end of the day, with a performance by the Rail City Dulcimer Society at 3, and a music showcase from 4-6:30 featuring a big fiddle concert. There is no admission. Sunday’s hours are noon until 4.
“While some artisans will have items for sale, the focus of the event is educational,” Stephens explained. She said the 2024 event is adding classes to get participants involved in art-making. “If you are a Facebook user, you can find links for tickets – some classes are free, and some have fees for supplies.” Tickets for the classes are offered through Eventbrite on the Facebook page.
“Saturday’s classes include an art hike, making a nature ornament or charm out of resin, basket making, and a chair-bottoming class – bring your own chair,” she said. “Sunday’s classes are decorative pie crusts, beginning wood carving, and clay pinch pots. All instructors are professionals with lots of experience.”
Stephens explained that the art hike will allow walkers to pick forest items such as sticks, twigs and leaves, which is not usually permitted on state park property, and bring them back to the lodge to create their own project. “The hiking group will enjoy lunch together, then go back to the trail to ‘give back’ their artwork. This will be a special experience for anyone who loves art and nature.” Call Anne Stephens at the extension office, 606.836.0201 for reservations, or email her at
Silver Run Ranch will be back with alpacas and a demonstration of weaving custom pieces. “Kevin Toney is the caretaker of a herd of alpacas that he sheers, spins the wool into yarn, uses natural dyes to make beautiful colors to make his blankets, shawls and other items.”
Among the fascinating Appalachian artists are luthiers – instrument builders. “CW Parsons and Company will be creating guitars, and John Ryster will build fiddles, displayed in the various stages of the building process,” Stephens noted.
Stephens said most of the craftspeople setting up in the Jesse Stuart Lodge are from Greenup and surrounding counties and will represent a wide variety of art – pottery, jewelry making, instrument making, painting, quilting, sewing and knitting, and many other art forms that are related to traditional Appalachian living.
“One new feature this year is the Russell Vocational/Technical School’s welding program, which recently won a national award for their artistic use of welding to create sculpture,” Stephens said.
Among the artisans displaying their skills is Jill Robinson, who was awarded the 2018 Kentucky Foundation for Women Activism Grant, which allowed her to become a full-time artist. She works with the award-winning team Welding Rodeo.
The Angler Cove restaurant at Greenbo’s Jesse Stuart Lodge will be open for lunch and dinner Saturday and the Sunday lunch buffet.
“All of our artisans are skilled, talented and creative, and enjoy sharing their knowledge and experience with the public,” Stephens declared. “We look forward to seeing people come out and get involved in the artistic process.”
