In a small studio apartment above her Uptown interiors shop, Jeanne Moore sits at a desk, crafting her way through piles of stuff that she’s accumulated over the years – found objects, bits of cloth and colorful threads.

In her hands is a wine bottle opener that’s turning into a colorful critter.

“This thing needs eyeballs,” she announces suddenly.

When Moore is done with her creation, the creature has not only a set of googly eyes, but also curly pipe-cleaner hair and a monarch butterfly shirt.

It’s one of the parade prizes for the Uptown Street Fair, which is taking place this weekend on Saturday, Aug. 19.

Other prizes for the Grandly Local Parade include a doll made from part of a toilet’s plumbing and a bird in a pom-pom nest, holding a miniature gold trophy. “I always like them to be holding a trophy,” Moore said.

CREATIVE NEIGHBORHOOD

Moore, who owns Potpourri Northwest Interiors, has been making parade trophies for the past 20 years or so.

She started making them for the Kinetics Sculpture Race, and also has been crafting them for the Uptown Street Fair, which takes place annually in August.

“The trophies are wonderful,” said the fair’s current organizer, Lisa Doray.

Potpourri Northwest Interiors is one of the shops that forms the core of the Uptown District. Moore started at her current location 30 years ago, and after a stint at the building now occupied by Printery Communications and also a couple of years down the street in the Crossroads Music building, returned to her location at 1104 Lawrence St. She moved all of her furniture via the Uptown parade.

“It's a very creative neighborhood,” she said of Uptown. “Being in business, you have to be creative.” This year may be her last in business, however. “I’m kind of feeling like I’m going to retire,” she said. But she’ll never stop creating.

SWEET

Moore describes Uptown – and by extension, the Uptown Street Fair – as a locals-oriented destination. “If someone comes into your shop, it’s because they’re on a mission.”

Everyone who stops by is someone she knows. “Or going to know,” she said.

“It's very sweet. Port Townsend is a sweet place, but Uptown is especially sweet.

And for the 30 years she’s been there, she said, it hasn’t changed that much. She mentions milestones in Uptown’s history: The Food Co-op leaving, Aldrich’s Market burning down.

“We’ve gone through a lot, and yet it kind of comes back, and is the same,” she said.

STREET FAIR

Moore describes the street fair as a “festive, friendly community day.” It’s a time for the Uptown businesses to celebrate and give back to the locals that support them. “It’s really tried to reflect the local scene,” said Doray. “It definitely has a very block feeling about it.”

Since it’s set for a Saturday, the fair takes place alongside the Jefferson County Farmers Market. There’s also the Port Townsend Arts & Crafts Fair, and plenty of free art activities for kids and families.

At the start of the day, the community is invited to gather at 9:45 a.m. for the Main Street town portrait, a community photo shoot set for 10 a.m. at the Fire Bell Tower. The photo is to be shot by David Conklin, and designed and printed by Mike Kenna of Printery Communications, who printed the first town portrait, in 1985.

The parade begins at 2 p.m. All are welcome to meet by the East Jefferson Fire Rescue station at 1:45 p.m. to participate (no religious or political entries), and perhaps win one of Moore’s prizes.