The Black Forest Festival kicked off Aug. 11, with an early morning pancake breakfast. The festivities carried on throughout the day and included fun for the whole family: a bounce house, a classic car show, a parade, food, booths and music by the U.S. Air Force Academy Jazz Band, the ìFalconaires.îJon Karroll from KRDO News Channel 13 emceed the parade.Booths were set up along the grounds of the Black Forest Community Club, sponsor of the event. A wide range of vendors selling a variety of goods, from jewelry and art to bath and beauty items, participated in the festival. Businesses like Allstate and Granite Transformations took part in the festival, as well as home-based businesses like Scentsy and Pampered Chef.New to the Black Forest Festival was Pam Liljestrand with Affordable Gifts. She said it was her first time at the event, and traffic and sales had been good all morning. ìI will definitely come back next year,î Liljestrand said. Janelle Lirette with Sudsí n Buds said she did ìreally wellî last year, which brought her back this year to the delight of festival goers, enticed to her booth because of the wonderful aromas.Local community clubs also took advantage of the festival crowds. The American Legion 2008 had a booth, as well as the Black Forest Trails Association. The El Paso County Sheriffís office manned a booth, where they handed out information sheets including an emergency checklist for cars and a fire hazard mitigation list.Pets were available for adoption at the festival from local animal shelters and rescue groups. Wild Blue animal rescue and sanctuary brought cats and kittens, and the Black Forest Animal Sanctuary brought a horse and pony ñ all in need of good homes. Farmersí marketFresh produce, free-range eggs, local honey, fruit and hot pepper jams, bread, tamales, pies and candy; along with handcrafted goods like furniture and antiques, pillows, soap, aprons, totes, pet items and quilts will be available at the Black Forest Farmers and Crafters Market, which takes place Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., through September. The market is at 10915 Black Forest Road and includes handicap parking and sign language assistance for the hearing impaired. Leashed dogs are welcome, as well as strollers. Admission is free. Vendor spots are $20 per day. Contact Patti Kryzanowski at 719-433-3936 for more information.
