FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA - The holidays can be a great time for retailers but it can also be a tough time for shoppers trying to find the perfect gift for friends and family.
The annual Sugarloaf Festival fixed those shoppers' worries by featuring a giant expo where hundreds of top artisans showcased and sold the latest trends in fashion and homemade recipes.
"All the exhibitors make everything that they bring themselves, they come from all over the East Coast," says Lorrie Stalley, manager of the Sugarloaf Festival.
About 15,000 people attend around this time of year. Many hope to find a unique Christmas gift that cannot be found anywhere else.
Each item is created by the exhibitors themselves who all carry a different set of skills in art or culinary interest.
"It's all handforged by me so it's all been in the fire up to 2300 degrees and hammered out and then made into something useful," says Nick Vincent, who has been a blacksmith for over 30 years and has been showcasing his products every year.
Hungry shoppers huddled over the smell of a homemade dip known as JD's Salsa, a product that cannot be found at any grocery store thanks to its ingredients.
"We're an all-natural dry seasoning, 100% all natural, gluten-free, no MSG, no sugar, no preservatives, no cholesterol," says Todd Marcus, whose uncle had created the recipe.
This festival gave shoppers a little something for the holidays.
It will be held again in January from the 25th to the 27th.
The annual Sugarloaf Festival fixed those shoppers' worries by featuring a giant expo where hundreds of top artisans showcased and sold the latest trends in fashion and homemade recipes.
"All the exhibitors make everything that they bring themselves, they come from all over the East Coast," says Lorrie Stalley, manager of the Sugarloaf Festival.
About 15,000 people attend around this time of year. Many hope to find a unique Christmas gift that cannot be found anywhere else.
Each item is created by the exhibitors themselves who all carry a different set of skills in art or culinary interest.
"It's all handforged by me so it's all been in the fire up to 2300 degrees and hammered out and then made into something useful," says Nick Vincent, who has been a blacksmith for over 30 years and has been showcasing his products every year.
Hungry shoppers huddled over the smell of a homemade dip known as JD's Salsa, a product that cannot be found at any grocery store thanks to its ingredients.
"We're an all-natural dry seasoning, 100% all natural, gluten-free, no MSG, no sugar, no preservatives, no cholesterol," says Todd Marcus, whose uncle had created the recipe.
This festival gave shoppers a little something for the holidays.
It will be held again in January from the 25th to the 27th.
