Fantasy In The Forest Lives Up To Its Name

Craig Bakay | Sep 08, 2021

Even though the number of vendors was down this year to 40 from the normal 60-80, the Forest King, Jamie Brick, was sporting huge smiles Saturday as a steady stream of customers came to pay homage at his shop/throne room.

“We’ve done 25 summer shows (although the summer show has been cancelled this year and last) and this is our fifth fall show,” Brick said. “It’s been a great turnout and we have a lot of new vendors from our Facebook posts.

“I’m very encouraged because in this day and age you never know.

“Right up until the last minute we didn’t know if it was a go.”

Well, it definitely was a go. Most of the attendees and vendors wore masks and they didn’t seem to dampen spirits in the slightest.

And for many of the vendors, this is an annual pilgrimage that they were only too happy to resume.

Take welding sculptor Oliver Schindler for example. He’s now 15 and has his own booth but he’s been coming since he was a baby. His sister, Sophia Deluca,17, shared his booth selling her clay domes (think large snow domes without the snow) while also taking time to entertain by singing and playing her ukulele.

“When we were little, we just used to help out the other artists,” Oliver said. “We’d get drinks for them and run errands.

“We used to sleep here above this booth.”

“Yes,” said Sophia. “With a couple of Ikea mattresses and lots of blankets.

“I’m also into animation and I’m illustrating a book of my poems.

“I love doing creative things and in the middle of the woods, it’s just the best.”

Much of the creative influence comes from dad, Tony Deluca, who’s a silver and goldsmith and has his About Face booth just kitter-corner from Oliver’s shop.

“Kids make everything more fun,” Tony said. “They’re developing themselves and we’re just a mold they come from.

“For example, they think they’re funny because we’re funny, but who knows?”

Did we mention that all four family members were dressed as jesters this year?

“I have an amazing family, very creative,” said mom Kathleen Schindler. “My children make unique objects.”

Kathleen is a bit unique in the family in that she doesn’t really make things, having another job in the health care industry as a mammographer.

But she gets into the act big time.

“My family’s very organic,” she said. “There’s an ebb and flow to it just like my husband’s work.

“Unlike others of their generation, my kids haven’t grown up in front of a screen and they have had a chance to talk to people of all ages.

“While not everybody appreciates hand-made, here there are a lot of like-minded people.”