Over 70 vendors have signed up for Lambton Heritage Museum's largest fundraiser, the Lambton Fall Colour and Craft Festival.
Lambton County Museums and Archives Marketing and Events Coordinator Jessica Stevenson said the annual initiative usually attracts 3,000 to 3,500 people.
Visitors can enjoy historical demonstrations, an autumn leaves-inspired craft led by the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery, and an artisan market.
"We have a variety of vendors selling all kinds of things from art and home decor, clothing, textiles, jewellery, pottery, woodworking signs, and food and beverage," Stevenson said.
The festival, at the Museum Road site in Grand Bend, is scheduled to run Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is $5 cash per person, but children 12 and under can enter for free when accompanied by an adult.
Proceeds from the event will go toward the Canatara Cabin restoration project.
Although a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in July, Stevenson said part of the cabin still needs work.
"There is still some conservation work on the upper floor to be finished, so the proceeds from this year's sale will be going toward the next phase of the restoration project," she said. "It's our hope that eventually, visitors may be able to go up to the upper floor."
In the meantime, Stevenson said they've received positive feedback from visitors who have seen the cabin's first floor.
"It's been interpreted as a 1930s vacation cottage. Visitors can play crokinole in there, and there's also a book that goes over the history of the project and the history of the cabin itself," she said.
The weekend is also the last time to see the feature exhibition "Bluewaterland: Dive into the Depths," which explores the nautical history of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River.
"Admission to the museum is included with admission to the craft festival, so if visitors are here shopping, they can take a break, they can come in, and look at the rest of the museum," Stevenson said.
A full list of vendors expected at the festival can be found on the museum's website.
One of the vendors, Jeffrey George of Red Dog Art Studio, donated a framed print, which will be sold during a silent auction to raise money for the cabin project as well.
