Neither rain, nor shaky economy, nor temporary highway closures were sufficient to prevent a successful 37th edition of the Patagonia Fall Festival.

“Given the rain, the forecast, given the price of gas, the fact that (Highway) 83 was closed both days for over an hour, we were very pleased at the end of the day Sunday,” said Linda Shore, president of the Sky Island Tourism Association (SITA).

Shore said the Festival attracted about 95 vendors and as estimated 10,000 attendees —7,000 on Saturday before the heavy rains hit later that evening and Sunday morning.

The Festival was a joint endeavor between SITA and Art State Arizona, which played a major role in coordinating the vendors. Shore said Matt Roland, head of Art State, said the vendors’ feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

  • Isabella Gonzalez, 4, of Nogales and Caryssa Coleman, 9, of Tucson work intently on their pumpkins paintings. (Photos by Dave Lumia and Robert Gay)
  • Alan Rios shows off one of his glass-metal creations. (Photos by Robert Gay and Dave Lumia) \
  • WindRaven describes himself as a Native American healer (also known as a Shaman or Curando) of the Yaqui nation. (Photos by Robert Gay and Dave Lumia)
  • One can never have too much purple, can they? (Photos by Robert Gay and Dave Lumia)
  • Early morning rains on Sunday let up in time for sun-spackled afternoon of browsing. (Photos by Dave Lumia and Robert Gay)
  • The Double G Alpacas always are sure to attract a lot of attention, rain or shine. (Photos by Dave Lumia and Robert Gay)
  • Cirque Collective performers provided afternoon entertainment. (Photos by Dave Lumia and Robert Gay)
  • Cirque Collective performers provided afternoon entertainment. (Photos by Dave Lumia and Robert Gay)

“The returning vendors all said that they had equaled or were withing 10 percent of their best Saturday,” Shore said. “And there were quite a few new people too, which was neat. They had no frame of reference, of course, but they were thrilled. Three of them commented to me how beautiful the park was.”

While the weather gods were temperamental, they spared Patagonia the worst of their wrath. Heavy winds and a downpour swept through Town Park on Saturday, but not until around 7 p.m., after the Festival had shut down for the day. A couple of the portable tents were blown over, but no serious consequences. And while Sunday’s forecast called for heavy rains, the skies cleared by mid-afternoon, making for pleasant browsing amid ideal fall temperatures.

“The fact that the vendors were seeing good sales results means the people did how were buyers,” Shore said. “Given all the circumstances, it was a very good festival.”