Tootie’s Kettle Crack has been a vendor at the last four Lions Clubs Arts and Crafts Festival.
“We enjoy the event,” said owner Charmin Evans. “It’s normally beautiful weather. There are a lot of people out and about. We enjoy popping the popcorn.”
Evans said her business goes to about eight festivals throughout the year, and all are about the same size of the local arts and crafts festival. She said Lions festival is one of the better events, especially if the weather is agreeable.
“As long as the weather’s good, they have a huge crowd,” she said.
Tootie’s Kettle Crack pops a whole line of gourmet popcorns, including caramel corn and popcorn mixes, and according to Evans, “We pop on site.”
According to Myrle Partridge, the Lions Club publicity chair, Tootie’s Kettle Crack is one of six local vendors that had signed up to participate in the festival.
The others include Kerrie’s Tie Dye, Tom’s Smokin’ BBQ, Windy Hill Farm + Home, Amy’s Simple Sweets and Jenny’s Creations.
The businesses will be six of more than 100 that will be at the festival Oct. 5 and 6. (Last year, 123 vendors came to the festival.) Both days it runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $5 per car.
Lions Club organizers say last year’s event brought in an estimated 6,000 people. Partridge said the Lions don’t really set an attendance goal; instead, they only hope to get as many people there as possible.
That’s because the club uses the net profit from the weekend to fund many programs, nonprofits and initiatives in the community. In 2023, the club netted about $20,000, Partridge said.
The money from the festival, along with other Lions Club events like its annual auction, go towards purchasing eyeglasses for those in the community in need and funding eye screenings for county students in the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th grades, Partridge said.
The club also gives out awards to a plethora of nonprofits each year.
“No money gets sent out of the community,” Partridge said. “It all stays here.”
According to a recent release from the Lions, vendors will be selling “wood crafts, quilts, glass art, jewelry, crochet items, handmade toys and dolls, painting and prints, candles, soaps, jams and jellies, honey, children’s clothing, baked gods, stained glass, wreaths, kitchen items, primitives and plenty of fall, Halloween and Christmas decorations.
Food vendors will sell barbecue, walking tacos, burritos, chicken steaks, gourmet grilled cheese, Asian food, popcorn, kettle corn and lemonade shake-ups, said the release.
There’s still room to sign up to be a craft vendor, according to the Lions’ website. To sign up, go to hendersonlions.org and find the application at the bottom of the screen. To be a craft vendor the cost is $135.
For more information, call Partridge at 270-577-2276 or send an email to hendersoncitylions@gmail.com.