The sweet-smelling aroma of cinnamon wafting in the presence of Big Iron visitors stems from the craft building.
Though women comprise the largest amount of visitors to the craft show, men are welcome, too, especially if they have a sweet tooth. Some of the delectable treats showcased are jellies, candies, homemade coffee, ice cream and kuchen.
Homemade sweets tingle the taste buds, but visual senses are equally captured by the quality design in colorful and elegant jewelry, precision embroidery and creative ceramics.
Featured at the craft show this year will be a collection of new exhibitors and returning favorites. The craft show will run Sept. 11-13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during Big Iron at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in Fargo.
Here's a sampling of what people will find at the craft show:
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-- La La Homemade Ice Cream - Jennifer Sobin, Fertile, Minn., takes her super-premium ice cream to Fargo, which she makes by hand in her home. She offers standard selections, such as, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, plus specialized flavors, such as, raspberry honey and Charlotte's Web.
Raspberry honey features raspberry ice cream with fresh Minnesota raspberries coated in honey and swirled into the ice cream. Charlotte's Web, another signature item of Sobin's, combines vanilla ice cream, toasted coconut and chopped semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Sobin began making ice cream because she preferred ice cream to other rich treats, but wanted a high-quality taste.
"It's easy to be disappointed in bad ice cream and there's a lot of it out there," she said. Customers will be able to sample flavors and purchase cones, cups, floats, sundaes, and pints of ice cream. Also available will be an expresso bar.
"I encourage tasting; I like it when people try my ice cream," she says.
-- Author Paula Winskye, Sheyenne, N.D., will be marketing her books and books from the (Devil's) Lake Region Authors Group at the 2007 Big Iron Farm Show.
Books range from $10 to $20 and Winskye offers her own self-published novels. She stresses conservative values in three books centered on a family saga. Also available is a romance novel and a mystery.
Winskye began writing at age 12. She says she has to write because vivid stories fill her head. Her romance novel has captured the attention of a publisher and soon will be re-released by James A. Rock & Co.
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-- Nick and Patty Wagner , Mercer, N.D., will be returning to Fargo for the second time with their business - Wagner's Wagon. The Wagners are a welcome sight for many outdoor activity enthusiasts, as they have become popular for their homemade kuchen, a sweet dish of German heritage.
The Wagners got started in the kuchen business because both Nick and Patty have German heritage and the treat has "always been a family favorite," Nick says.
Kuchen starts with sweet dough and is filled with custard, which usually contains a fruit of choice, explains Nick. The product is made on-site and produces an alluring smell of cinnamon, said Judy McKay, Red River Valley Fairgrounds worker.
The Wagners bring 17 kuchen varieties to Big Iron, but have the ability to make many more selections. Fruit, such as, peach, cherry and blueberry are common orders as is Nick's caramel and pecan specialty.
Close to the Wagners' home in western North Dakota, area coffee shops carry Wagner's Wagon kuchen that is pre-made, but baked on location. The Wagners have also succeeded in marketing kuchen as a fundraising project.
"The kids get a break (on the product), they fill order sheets and we fill the orders," Nick said. Customers can sample and purchase kuchen from Wagner's Wagon as well as pecan pie, fudge, taffy and coffee.
