Up To 125K Expected in Downtown Little Falls this Weekend

LITTLE FALLS -- This is the weekend craft lovers will be converging on Little Falls. The 47th annual Arts and Crafts Fair is this Saturday and Sunday.

Little Falls Chamber President and CEO Debora Boelz says they are expecting another large crowd of shoppers.

We should be around 100,000 to 125,000, which sounds like a lot of people, but we are an outdoor event so we stage ourselves over 10 blocks in the downtown area, we close off some of the streets, we're in city parks and parking lots, so it does flow very well.

Boelz says, once again this year, there is free parking and shuttles from the Morrison County Fairgrounds.

Boelz says the event is a big boost for the entire region.

We know we fill hotel rooms from Wadena through St. Cloud down into the Big Lake and Becker area, the casino is usually full at Mille Lacs.  It's just a very economic boost for our community.  Our brick and mortar stores do very well, our bars and restaurants.

Boelz says as many as 30 non-profit organizations will be raising this money this weekend either by volunteering to help at the event or by setting up their own food stands.

She says she gets calls almost once a month from other communities that want to start their own arts and crafts fair.

They have over 600 vendors coming from 20 states.

The Little Falls Arts and Crafts Fair runs from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The community of Rice also holds its annual Arts and Crafts Fair this Saturday and Sunday.