Festival vendors retain high hopes through economic downturn

For twenty years, Alaskans have been going to the "Make It Alaskan" festival to buy homegrown Christmas gifts. With this being the 20th anniversary the festival was expected to be one of the best in memory.

However, the festival happened to fall during one of the toughest economic years in U.S. history.

The festival typically generates a half-million dollars in sales, but with an early winter and energy crunch on, it may be difficult for vendors to reclaim those numbers.

Steven Rouse, president and chief executive of Make It Alaskan, Inc. remains optimistic.

"It's the dedication people have to buying Alaskan-made," said Rouse. "We're growing in sales, in attendance, in vendors, and so we're very confident this event will be

somewhat insulated and isolated from the current upheaval in the credit market."

Vendors, for the most part, are taking the current economic crisis all in stride.

"In the time that I've been doing crafts, I don't think I've ever had two years the same all the time, and never two years in a row," said Bill Ryder, owner of Midnite Sun Crafts and Gifts. "It's up and down, and you kind of ride with the flow."

Flush with cash from the permanent fund dividend and energy rebate checks, Alaskans very well may be insulated from the nation-wide crunch, if only for a little while.

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