Handmade Art and Crafts items

“All of our artists go through a rigorous qualifying procedure, ” said festival spokeswoman Lisa Carey of the juried three-day show. “They have to show they create all their items themselves. They’re all handmade. It ensures diversity so our patrons have a wide selection to choose from when they’re visiting us.”

The festival, which travels to other cities, is set to stop in Ontario on Oct. 9-11. Up to 15, 000 people attend the festival at other stops and Carey is hopeful it will attract thousands to the Ontario Convention Center this time around.

Temecula’s Alan Morgenstern, a bass player with Hyjinx, said the festival performance will be a duo — his acoustic bass and Sean Sheldrake’s on the acoustic guitar. As a fan of the event, Morgenstern is excited to be involved.

“It’s one of a kind items you don’t find anywhere else, ” he said. “My wife loves the place. She comes in and finds all her Christmas shopping can be done all in one place quickly.”

A potential option for Christmas shoppers is Caro’s Custom Creations from Ontario. Raul Caro, with his two brothers James and Martin, started the artistic wood working business in 2010.

“We bring over 100 years of experience to the table, ” Caro said. “It goes way back to my dad being a contractor. We got involved with wood early. He wasn’t a wood worker but we are. We just wanted to create and make and build something that’s different.”

Caro’s business idea happened after he created wine stoppers out of exotic wood for family and friends.

“When we had get togethers, I would bring them out ... people loved them. We started making them for these shows and they’ve been well received, ” Caro recalled. “Today, we have 40 different exotic wood products.”

Caro’s Custom Creations creates wine stoppers, bottle openers, canes, humidors for cigars and much more using special wood products, including Brazilian purpleheart wood, Brazilian yellow heart wood, Marblewood from South America and more.

For the Ontario show, a new “live edge line” of products will be displayed, which Caro said features a “rustic edge” to it from the trees being exposed to the elements. Another new style will feature Hawaiian koa wood. Caro also plans to have a new window garden box using only reclaimed wood.

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“We make something that’s unique with exotics but also usable art, ” Caro said.

Want to go?

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 9-10 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 11.

Where: Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario.

Tickets: $9 for adults; $7 for seniors age 62 and older; $4 for youths age 13-17; free for youths 12 and younger with an adult. One ticket is good for all three days. Free admission for the first 100 attendees each day.

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