Vendor brings joy to those at Barn Festival

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - The annual fall Barn Festival has officially come to a close in Hastings.

Visitors and vendors have came from across the county and the globe to experience the event. You can find anything from clothing to home décor at Barn Fest, and one popular vendor is Barefoot in the Barn.

Owner Butch Bailey sells metal jack-o’-laterns and home defense concealment boxes. But for Butch, it’s about more than making money.

“I love seeing smiles on people’s faces and coming out here I get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing the smiles I put on with the stuff I make,” said Bailey. “It’s very satisfying in life. It’s not always about the money.””

Bailey is from McPherson, KS and for the past five years he has been at every Barn Fest. His success allowed him to retire from his 23-year career in law enforcement. He said one visitor comes to Barn Fest to browse and buy some of his work.

“A lady said she drove from Colorado, she just picked a piece up now, and she said she’s been coming here for years and she comes back here to see my stuff and that really makes me feel good, you know,” said Bailey. “Just, she’s like I don’t come back to buy anything I like looking at stuff but I come back to buy your stuffs.”

He said those kind of reactions are what it’s all about. Adding the concealed boxes he makes doesn’t come with a lock.

Copyright 2023 KSNB. All rights reserved.