If you did, you really missed a special event held on Saturday, March 8th at the POC Community Center Pavilion with lots of handcrafted items and art with the artists, along with handcrafted jewelry, crosses, Easter yard art, special wooden vases, crafted wooden canes, wreaths, crosses, handmade knives, glass bird feeders, wooden writing pens, wooden fish and nautical items, great furniture, special ergonomic tools for ladies, purses to hold handguns, hummingbird feeders, metal cutouts, framed pictures of Port O’Connor, a book sale, and many other items including lessons given on turquoise stones. There was also a large lighthouse that was sold very quickly. It just marched off. There were baked goods sold by the Lions Club, kolaches and other baked goods by the D.I.V.A.S. Girls of Seadrift, and for lunch, The Smokin’ Nuts had wonderful barbeque sandwiches. Donnie Haynes, Henry Pongratz and their teammates can really serve up some good barbeque. The talent of these vendors is fantastic.

The Port O’Connor Lions Club sincerely thanks all those who participated in the Festival and made it fun. Please accept our deeply grateful and heartfelt “THANKS!!”. The weather cooperated somewhat in the morning but became windy and cool in the afternoon. The days before and after the Festival were worse weather-wise, so we did have some help from our Higher Authority for whom we thank. He did not send any rain that day and we are thankful.

The Port O’Connor Lions Club is grateful for the vendors who brought their wonderful items to us and all the people who turned out to shop. Two of the vendors traveled from other Lions Clubs to participate. Sure hope you shoppers got that special item. We are also grateful to the many donations made by the community for our bake sale and the really nice raffle items which were enjoyed by those in attendance. Debbie Michalec, Vice President of the Port O’Connor Lions Club did a very good job asking for donations for the raffle with our community responding with their donations. Diane Cooley, Secretary, and her Husband, Jim Cooley also did a very good job on the raffle and with helping out with the preparations and set up before and after the Festival. Jim Cooley made and donated the popular Texas Flag decorated wooden bench that was so coveted and in demand for raffle tickets.

Linda Butler, Treasurer and Jim Butler, Director, did an excellent job on helping out with the acquisition and sale of drinks during the Festival. That was a job well done.

Lynn Reeves, our Zone 12 Chairman and President of Seadrift Lions Club came out and graciously worked the entire day. We appreciate all the help she gave us. My Husband, John Jordan worked on the preparations for set up and clean up also. He and Jim Cooley had the task of marking off all the booth spaces and hammering in the stakes before the Festival along with other chores.

Sadly, one of our vendors, Mr. Victor Z. Martin, Wildlife Artist, was not there as he had planned. I found out the night before the Festival that he had passed away around the end of January. We all missed him. He is the artist who set up a booth at The Fishing Center for a good number of years with his paintings during Fourth of July and Poco Bueno.

All in all, it was a good turnout and Festival despite the weather since many vendors were asking for the date of the Arts & Crafts Festival for next year. We collected used eyeglasses for refurbishment and donations for White Cane Day supporting the Lions Eye Bank of Texas located in Baylor College of Medicine in the Medical Center of Houston. A collection box for used eyeglasses is located in Cathy’s Restaurant on Byers at Hwy. 185 for additional deposits of used eyeglasses to be refurbished and given to those who cannot afford glasses.

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO DONATED AND HELPED TO MAKE THE FESTIVAL A GREAT SUCCESS!!

For information or to find out how you can become part of the Port O’Connor Lions Club, please contact Joyce Jordan, President at cell #361-655-7999.

Carol and Gib Fox about to purchase some of Jenny O’Neill’s homemade dewberry jelly. Jenny also displayed her beautiful photos on canvas. Carol and Carly Rosenboom made unique hand-sewn aprons and other items displayed for sale in the same booth.

Donnie Haynes serves Randall Goode a delicous barbecue sandwich.

Pat Hatcher and Linda Butler show one of Jim Butler’s unique sand art clocks.

Barbara Crouch, Mary Ann Claiborne, and Paula McCauley manning the Friends of Port O’Connor Library booth.