Rain doesn’t dampen spirits at 11th Spinstock festival

“When was the last time you danced in the rain?” a DJ asked as, despite the sudden downpour, excited participants waved ribbons and balanced hula hoops in a Coleman Memorial Park field at around 4:15 p.m. Saturday.

This wasn’t the first rain of the day at Saturday’s 11th annual Spinstock Flow Arts Festival, but it was the most intense bout yet. Before 5 p.m., the heavy rain was over, though the air and grass remained damp.

When the festival was first set up just before noon, several vendors reported, the weather was misty.

For a few hours, the weather cleared up and attendance increased, before rain started at around 4 p.m.

“As the day got better weather-wise, more people started to turn out,” said Laura Becraft, who runs Gadgetometers alongside husband Robert Becraft. “Everybody seems to be having a good time.”

Spirits at the festival were anything but cloudy. Vendors (with almost 60 total) reported that, though the rain lowered attendance, customers were friendly and happy to participate in the movement-focused festival. And for vendors who regularly participate in outdoor events, a rainy day is never out of the question.

“The day has been okay, other than the rain, and we’ve had good turnout,” said Kerstin Kreiser of Elevated Creations, who sells paintings and mixed media art. “The value [Spinstock] brings here is great, I’ve been able to connect with a lot of really cool artists.”

Several vendors cited the community they found at the festival both in customers and other vendors, with multiple coming back to the festival year after year.

“Spinstock has been a lot of fun; got to meet some new people, got to interact with some other vendors,” said Rebecca Zimmerman of Bbare Naturals, who mentioned she enjoyed the music played throughout the day.

Throughout the day, practitioners of flow arts including kung fu, flag poi, aerial silks, and more offered demonstrations, often giving festival attendees a chance to try them out.

“What’s wonderful about [Spinstock] is there are a lot of opportunities for people to do things for free,” said Erin Carmany of Weezie Fett Art, referencing free activities including a community art project, bubble-blowing stations, and activity stations. “It’s a very relaxed atmosphere. I look forward to it every year.”