KELSEYVILLE >> Last weekend’s Harvest Festival at Steele Winery was a chance for county residents to celebrate autumn and get their minds off the devastating Valley Fire, if just for a few hours.
Yet the festival couldn’t avoid reminders of what everyone has been talking about for weeks: the Summer of Fire in Lake County. The hub of fire conversation at the festival seemed to center around the Cobb Crafters Sew and Saw booth offering handcrafted items, including notecards, throw pillows and wood items.
The hobbyists who participated under the Cobb Crafters name, Suzanne and Brad Belden, had already rented space at the annual festival when the Valley Fire started Sept. 12 on Cobb Mountain. They decided, even before the fire was contained, to keep their festival commitment despite several problems: their house destroyed, including most of their craft supplies, tools and finished items.
Fortunately, a trailer loaded with their crafts was hooked-up to their vehicle, so they were able to save it when they evacuated. Items on sale at the festival were from the surviving trailer.
“The trailer was completely loaded because we were planning to go to the Solano Stroll arts festival in Berkeley that weekend,” Suzanne Belden said. “When we saw the fire coming at us, we only had time to grab our dogs and leave.”
They skipped the Solano Stroll but made it to the annual Kelseyville Pear Festival and said they looked forward to the Steele Winery event.
“This is a gorgeous venue and I always enjoy the festival,” Suzanne Belden said Saturday. This is Cobb Crafters’ fourth year at the Harvest fest.
“I was not going to be sitting in a corner feeling sorry for myself,” Belden added. “I enjoy interacting with all the people in the county who come here.”
The Beldens were science teachers at Middletown High School for 20 years before retiring. They plan on rebuilding their Cobb house and beginning the long process of creating more handcrafted items to replace the ones they lost.
Another fire reminder at the festival was the Lake County Rising booth, where the non-profit organization collected donations to support survivors of the Valley Fire. They also gave out small buttons that read, “#LakeCountyRising — Recover. Rebuild. Renew.”
“We want to contribute however we can,” said volunteer Mark Clark of Lakeport. “I’m new to the community. I’ve only been here two years.”
The booth was also selling ‘Lake County Strong’ t-shirts from the Kelseyville Rotary Club.
“The festival offered us a good opportunity to get out in the community and talk to people and find out what their needs are,” said Terry Dereniuk, executive director of the Lake County Winery Association, one of several organizations backing Lake County Rising.
The Harvest Festival events featured a farmers market, wine tasting, grape stomping contests and a variety of events for kids, including storytelling, pie-eating contests, pumpkin decorating and face painting. It included more than 50 vendor booths that emphasized handmade arts, crafts, and food, many with autumn and Halloween themes.
The 4-H C&L Club of Lake County sponsored the festival’s primary food booth that offered barbecued grilled chicken, western beans, cole slaw, dinner rolls, and drinks. Proceeds help support the organization’s citizenship and leadership programs, including annual trips to Sacramento and Washington, DC.
Bonita Totorica of Middletown brought her two children, Austin, 7, and Dallas, 2, to the festival to help get their minds off the fire.
“The kids know that half of out town is gone,” Totorica said. “They are having a hard time trying to understand that a fire can be so devastating. It’s good to get them out of the burned area and to have some fun.”
The family’s apartment survived the firestorm but many of their friends and family lost homes to the extremely fast-moving blaze.
“It’s good weather and there are lots of vendors,” she added. “I like the arts and crafts and everything handcrafted.”
David Neft and the Cal Alumni Jazz Big Band provided the music on Saturday while Travis Austin and Bill Noteman & the Rockets played on Sunday.
Offerings from food vendors included fresh local produce, organic chocolate truffles, and handmade peanut brittle.
Steele Wines sold red and white harvest wines — including Riesling, Gaenache, and Outcast — by the glass or bottle.
Steele has sponsored the Harvest Festival since 1996, when Jed Steele bought the Mt. Konocti Winery. Prior to that, Mt. Konocti produced the festival for 13 years.
