The third annual Arts and Crafts Fall Festival is an experience SIUC students and Carbondale residents don’t want to miss, the events co-coordinator says.

The Arts and Crafts Fall Festival is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on the SIU Arena floor.

Betty Nix, co-coordinator of the festival, began planning for this year’s festivities last year.

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This festival is a unique experience for students and families of the area to come and see hand-made crafts and ornaments, Nix said.

More than 60 vendors, from Southern Illinois to Arkansas, will set up displays of wood crafts, stain glass creations and Halloween ornaments. Last year’s attendance was estimated to be more than 3,000 for the two-day event.

The festival is open to the general public, and there will be something for everyone, Nix said. Fully done-up scarecrows and other Halloween ornaments are generally big sellers.

A new addition to the festival is the appearance of a kid’s corner, where the American Red Cross, the Girl Scouts and Lutheran Social Services will have booths and tables for children.

Stephani Thompson, a Herrin resident and member of the Americorp group from the Little Egypt Network, will assist at the American Red Cross booth. Thompson said the Red Cross has operated a booth like this many times and children respond well it.

We have bags for the kids, and they go around to various boxes and pick up things to put in their bags, Thompson said. We have band-aids, gauze, alcohol pads and prevention booklets.