BATH — Saturday’s joint celebration of Bath Fest and the First Port Celebration pulled in people by the droves to tour the streets of North Carolina’s oldest town. In addition to living history exhibits and a re-enactment of Blackbeard’s send-off from North Carolina’s first designated port, residents and visitors browsed tables and tents lining South Main Street — artists and crafters displaying their wares, selling their own handcrafted products for those looking to take home a souvenir.

Once the weather warms up each year, many of these artists and crafters hit the festival circuit, traveling to events across the state. Others stick closer to home.

Janice and Skip Jones, both wood carvers from New Bern, mostly show their work in galleries. They don’t attend many festivals, but Bath Fest is always an exception, Janice Jones said.

“This happens to be one of my favorite (street fairs). The people are wonderful and the crowds are good,” Jones said on Saturday.

It’s making a connection with those people that brought recent Washington transplants Robert and Nel McLawhorn back to Bath Fest for a second year. Makers of Back Creek Soaps, they got their start making soap for family and friends, using beeswax and honey from their own hives. Just as each bar of soap, container of salve, or any other one of their handmade products is made with a personal touch, the McLawhorns enjoy the personal connections made with potential buyers at street festivals. Most shoppers at street fairs are looking for a different buying experience, according to Nel McLawhorn.

“I think what people look for is local products, sustainable products,” Nel McLawhorn said.

Being able to explain their products — how they’re made and what they should be used for — creates a personal sales opportunity that can’t be found when a product is simply displayed on a store shelf, she said.

“It’s being able to talk to the person who creates what they buy,” McLawhorn said. “I think it’s nice because people do get the full story of why people are doing what they’re doing.”