Thousands visit Crosby Festival despite the heat

The Crosby Festival and fine weather bring a large number of people out on Saturday morning.

Steamy weather hasn‘‍t discouraged thousands of people from visiting the Toledo Botanical Garden today for the Crosby Festival of the Arts. 

Saturday’‍s hottest merchandise, not including the goods sold by food and beverage vendors, was art made of copper, festival organizers said.

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Alison Houghtaling, 31, of Maumee could testify to that. She scooped up a large copper leaf sculpted to look like a Michigan State University Spartan football helmet for $70. To eliminate any doubt, a large green crystal was embedded in the middle of the sculpture.

Steve Anderson, a sculptor for 38 years from Cedar Springs, Mich., said his Michigan State art has always been his best seller regardless of what region of the country he‘‍s in.

“For some reason Spartans are the most loyal fans in the world,” Mr. Anderson said. “If I‘‍m in Ann Arbor, I still sell more Spartan sculptures. The same thing goes for when I’‍m in Ohio, or Florida. MSU fans always seem to find me.”

Another popular craftsman was Jose Muenala Anguaya, who exhibited his jewelry craftsmanship while playing the Andean pan flute he learned to play as a teen-ager growing up in Ecuador.

The Crosby festival concludes on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the botanical garden.