June 5, 2001 – For shoppers in search of artsy-craftsy bargains, what could be better than a Saturday yard sale?
Try a courtyard sale.
And try stopping by the Tillett Gardens courtyard on June 16 to check out the offerings — not only all the items garden artisans and outside vendors are eager to move, but also demonstrations, workshops, live music, food and drink and more.
The "Bargain Saturday" mini-fair, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., should be a fun and frugal way to shop on a lazy almost-summer's day, organizer Rhoda Tillett said. "There will be deals and discounts in all the garden studios and shops," she said, "plus, outside vendors and not-for-profit groups will be having their own sales in the courtyard, and we'll have lots of activities all day."
It's a spring repeat of a "Bargain Saturday" event held last fall in the St. Thomas arts complex that proved popular among exhibitors and shoppers alike, she said.
Jason Budsan, owner of the Caribbean Herbals studio in the garden, will demonstrate candlemaking at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sandy Simpson of Barefoot Beads will demonstrate how to make bracelets and necklaces with beads and memory wire at 1 p.m. Cheryl Miller of Cheryl's Taste of Paradise will lead a puppet-making workshop at 2 p.m. (Bring along an old — clean — sock, and you can turn it into a new puppet friend.)
And at 4 p.m., four of the STARfest VII singers — Klint Constantine, Shenica Grant, Kareem Harrigan and D'Shema Wallace — will take to the stage. Constantine, Grant and Rawlins performed as soloists in the annual Reichhold Center for the Arts talent revue last month, and Harrigan sang as a member of the group Versatile.
"If you didn't get to STARfest — and also if you did — you won't want to miss hearing these talented young people perform," Tillett said. "And as for the shopping, well, as we all know, one person's trash is another's treasure — especially if it's on sale."
Admission is free. All of the garden shops and studios and Polli's Mexican Restaurant will be open throughout the day.
Exhibitor space is still available. For businesses, there's a $25 charge, but for not-for-profit groups, space is free. To reserve or learn more, call 775-1929 or e-mail to tillett@islands.vi.
