GREENSBORO, N.C. — It was a successful weekend of culture and music at this year's North Carolina Folk Festival in downtown Greensboro.
The community was entertained with three days of creative expression and cultural traditions expressed through music, food, and crafts.
Jennifer Siegel returned to the Folk Festival for the second time to sell her decorative ceramic and hand-crafted clay pieces.
"I've been looking forward to this market specifically since I left it last year," Siegel said.
She drove an hour from Apex to put her work on display.
"It's our livelihood it's what we're passionate about and we're ready to meet you and make it great," Siegel said.
Those good intentions quickly turned to devastation when Siegel said a microburst of wind swept through East Market Street where she and other vendors were set up Saturday.
"While I'm watching my biggest and most time-consuming pieces crash to the ground In front of me I'm also watching the booth next to me whose owner hadn't arrived yet shift forward 6 feet," Siegel said.
Siegel sat on the wet sidewalk in disbelief as six months of crafting, carving and designing lay shattered on the street.
"I lost well over a thousand dollars of inventory," Siegel said.
A wave of acceptance settled over Siegel after the anger and frustration of having few items left to sell.
"It's just the risk you take no one anticipates losing that much stuff," Siegel said.
A devastating way to end a weekend that was supposed to be a business boost, but turned into a business bust.