There was an indie craft invasion on College Hill Saturday, Sept. 16, with the seventh annual Pear Fair. Over 25 local and regional vendors came to the corner of 22nd and College Street, right by the Octopus bar, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For Allison Dickinson, — a junior studying geography, —this was her first experience with the Pear Fair.

“I’ve always passed by it, but I’ve never actually gone in to see it,” Dickinson said.

Although the focus of the fair was crafts, food and music enhanced the atmosphere. Milkbox Bakery (which is also located on the Hill) and a La Calle Latin American cuisine food truck provided fairgoers with a snack while they shopped.

The Cedar Falls Food Co-op and the Center for Energy and Environmental Education also had informational booths at the fair. Vinyl was spinning throughout the day, with more records available for purchase at the fair.

The majority of vendors were located inside a large canvas tent. Shoppers formed a line to make a loop around the tent, with the option of placing their name and contact information into a cauldron for the drawing of a gift card to Mohair Pear, a shop located on College Street. Mohair Pair is the fair’s host and namesake.

A wide array of vendors lined the insides of the tent. In the slightly more conventional category, there were wall prints, canvas paintings and original coloring books. Many vendors featured succulents and cacti, uniquely planted in blocks of wood or recycled wine bottles.

One booth sold hand puppets, while another sold knitted stuffed animals. More of these stuffed animals continued to be produced on the spot, as their creator kept clicking her knitting needles together during the fair.

Another booth sold a wide selection of handcrafted cruelty-free bath and body products. Handmade jewelry, zines, fiber art, graphic t-shirts, handmade stickers and greeting cards were just some of the other things on display and for sale. Most of these items can also be found online at their vendor’s Etsy shops.

Savannah Findley, a junior studying child, adult, and family services was also at the fair.

“My friend Allison really wanted to go. I didn’t really know what it was about [before] . . .[but] I had a good time; I thought there was a lot of interesting stuff to look at,” Findley said.

Besides the many varieties of art that were sold and displayed, another prominent part of the fair was fortune telling. At least three booths offered the service to fairgoers, including tarot, bone, and lithomancy readings.

One booth displayed a sign saying, “The Witch is In,” while another listed the special of the day as “Answers and advice from your angels and ancestors.”

“I loved how many different types of art there were, and then that they’re all local artists is so cool. And they’re anywhere from really young people to older adults, that’s so cool,” Dickinson said.

The event attracted students, families and professors. Vendors had to fight the rain for a time, but the tent offered substantial protection.

For more information about the Pear Fair, visit thepearfair.com