WELLS — Turns out broom-making is still a profession. Good work, if you can get it.

Janelle Higdon got it by simple persistence, apprenticing for Haydenville Broomworks for more than a year before eventually taking over the business. Over the weekend, her unique trade landed her at the 27th annual Laudholm Nature Crafts Festival, held at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Trust.

Using a stand-up, wood-and-metal vice made in 1878, Higdon gave a demonstration of her talents on Saturday, looping needle and thread through bristles made from sassafras trees ”“ one of hundreds of hand-crafted brooms that she’s made and sold over the years. With a curious crowd gathering around her, she explained that only practice can result in a product worth using.

“You have to make a ton of brooms before you make brooms you’re really proud of, or that you would sell,” she said. “The prep work is the hardest part. It’s very labor intensive.”

It is, however, a labor of love.

That was a common theme as the grounds of the Wells Reserve were overrun with crafters, tents, demonstrations, and a little live music for some added ambiance. Ed Bellegarde, a volunteer at the reserve, explained that the crafts festival has gained something of a reputation in the nearly three decades it’s been held ”“ which attracts not only more crafters, but larger crowds, numbering in the thousands over the weekend, by his estimate.

“Everybody keeps showing up, and they come back every year, so that’s a good thing,” said Bellegarde. “Crafters come from all over the state, but there’s a lot of out-of-state crafters as well.”

Among them was artist Sibel Alpaslan, who originally hails from Turkey. Though this was her second time selling original ceramic pieces at the festival, Alpaslan said the experience still feels new to her. Her pieces, which run the gamut from plates and jewelry to ornate flower pots, take many of their aesthetic cues from her Turkish background, she said, relying on a pastel color pallet and imagery themed on nature, animals and birds.

She came back for a second year at her husband’s encouragement, and because she enjoys the vibe.

“The atmosphere is very nice,” said Alpaslan.

Tom Dahlke of North Fork Woodworks in Bath, by contrast, creates pieces of a distinctly American character, with a nod to history ”“ particularly the era of steam-engine locomotives. Though most of his wood pieces are modeled after buildings, not trains, it’s the time period itself that fascinates him, as well as creating items that have hidden functionality. One wood house opens up into a storage space for wine glasses and small bottles; another opens up into a series of drawers.

“Part of the appeal, for me, is just having fun with it,” said Dahlke. “Part of it is historical, bringing the past forward in a new way. And they’re challenging. Each step in the process has its challenges. But I thrive on solving problems.”

And on working the crowds, which is one reason he keeps coming back to the festival every year.

“It’s a really good crowd,” he said. “It’s fun. You get people laughing.”

Meanwhile, Victoria Elbrock travels the world to find inspirations for her series of drawings and illustrations, many of which depict ancient trees from locations as diverse as Tibet, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

“I feel a connection to the ancient trees,” said Elbrock. “We’re gone in the blink of an eye, and yet they’ve been around so long and seen so much.”

It’s peoples’ kindness, she said, that brings her back to the festival each year.

Which is good news to Bellegarde and his fellow Wells Reserve volunteers, who number around 200 and help with everything from festival planning to answering phones and stuffing envelopes. He said there’s always room for more.

It’s the dedication of those volunteers, he said, that makes the crafts festival a success every year.

“It’s grown a lot,” said Bellegarde, “thanks in no small part to them.”

— Staff Writer Jeff Lagasse can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 319 or [email protected].