50th Anniversary of the Delray Affair, Delray Beach

Artist Lorraine Vogel of Wired Orchid
Photo by Steve Vogel

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I didn’t know where to turn first — it was all so colorful and enticing. Signs that indicated “Gone to the Beach” in sea shades of pale turquoise adorned one booth, while tiki torches with sculpted smiling faces (the wicks stood out like hair) were posed in another. Wacky looking sack-like plants, said to keep bugs away, enticed passers-by. It was only mid-morning, but the gyro and sweet corn booths already had a queue. Walking leisurely along Atlantic Avenue, maneuvering among the crowd and friendly pooches, I took a swig from my Spot's iced latte. It was a perfect sunny Sunday in Delray Beach and the Delray Affair arts and crafts festival was in full swing.

The three-day gathering originated as a Gladioli Festival. Fifty years later, booths are filled with everything from handbags and sun hats to tie-dye t's and teepee tents for tots. My favorite exhibitors are the artists whose handcrafted goods are anything but cookie cutter. One showstopper is a tree-shaded booth at Old School Square: Wired Orchid. Polymer clay is the medium for Lorraine Vogel’s beautiful tropical-inspired pendants, bracelets, earrings and more. Her handcrafted color-splashed jewelry wins me over. I depart with a pair of earrings and a bracelet — one of a kind souvenirs from a happy day spent at the historic Delray Affair.

Tags: Atlantic Avenue | Delray Beach | The Delray Affair | Wired Orchid