Greg Stathatos stands in front of his newest project, Castle Air Museum’s B-17.
Patti Sweets offered a variety of desserts for sale to attendees.
COURTESY OF TIM RATHBONE
B-17 Archaeology’s researcher Tim Rathbone stands next to Castle Air Museum’s B-17 in 1964.
Mother and daughter co-owners of Bathalicious.
Families enjoyed the museum’s historic aircraft while shopping.
Crowds gathered at Castle Air Museum on Saturday for the Central Valley Crafts, Food, and Spirits Festival.
Vendor booths dotted the walkway through the museum’s collection of aircraft. Visitors were able to explore the museum while perusing the festival, with a wide selection of locally made crafts and food available.
The event was successful in spite of a couple hiccups. None of the alcohol vendors were able to attend due to staffing issues, and temperatures rose to 96 degrees, making it one of the hottest days of the year so far. Even so, families faced the heat to support the museum and local businesses. Even some vendors were able to experience something new.
“I’m embarrassed to say that we’ve been in this area since 1996, and I’ve never set foot here,” said Tabatha Craig, owner of The B Exchange, who took time to explore the museum in between helping guests. “It’s amazing, I love it. It’s humbling to see what our men and women were up in.”
Craig’s booth sold an assortment of homemade soaps, lotions, and bath bombs made with natural ingredients. For others, the day was a reminder of the past.
“I used to come here when I was a kid, and it was so much fun,” said Kayla of Bathalicious, another vendor who sold bath bombs in the design of cupcakes and other sweet treats. Their booth included a bubble machine, which no shortage of children rushed to enjoy.
Other vendors included Patti Sweets, who provided cookies and “cake in a jar” style desserts, and The Magickal Purple Door, who had tables covered in crystals sourced from around the world. One could find quilts, snacks, soaps and trinkets lining the walkways of the outdoor museum.
Elements such as the weather are impossible to control when planning events such as this one at Castle, but Executive Director Joe Pruzzo says that may become a problem of the past.
Castle Air Museum is currently developing a plan to put a hangar on the property that would house some of their collection of aircraft, as well as serve as an event center. The structure would be approximately 80,000 square feet, capable of housing 15 to 20 aircraft. It would replace some of the old buildings at the museum, but Pruzzo says that change is a long time coming.
“They were originally built as temporary structures 80 years ago,” Pruzzo reassured. “Remarkably we’ve been able to keep them going this long.”
The project is currently seeking out project management to enter the next stage of development. Pruzzo estimates it could be completed in the next five years, and hopes it will be “something that could attract people to the city of Atwater.”
Pruzzo has been the Executive Director of Castle Air Museum for 18 years, and has overseen other recent changes to the museum. Copper Wings, a coffee bar, recently took residence at the museum in the hopes that it might entice locals to swing by more frequently in their day to day lives.
“I’ve seen [the museum] grow and develop, which is very rewarding,” said Pruzzo. “We’ve got some big plans. Stay tuned.”
B-17 Restoration
During the festival, one booth stood apart from the rest. Stationed near the entrance to the museum, squarely in front of one of the museum’s most prized aircraft, was B-17 Archaeology. Their booth was covered in patches and DVDs, but their main purpose in attending was not to sell. The company exists to aid in the preservation of historic aircraft, and document their histories.
“If we don’t preserve history, it’s lost.” said Greg Stathatos, the founder of B-17 Archaeology. He achieves the company’s mission by creating documentaries, which include interviews with servicemembers. “My dad was in the Marines, and I met some veterans that were World War II B-17 crewmen,” he said. “I figured if I loved their stories, other people would want to hear them as well.”
Their current project is the restoration of the B-17 located at Castle Air Museum. It is the same style of plane that was flown on Brigadier General Frederick Castle’s final mission, for which he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The project requires thoroughly cleaning the body of the plane and repainting areas to make it true to history.
The company will be performing work on the restoration all this week, and invite members of the community to join in on Saturday and Sunday. They are offering free T-shirts to those who volunteer their time, and encourage families to bring their children to join in the efforts to preserve history.
“It’s not a matter of what you can do,” said Stathatos. “It’s just about coming out to support.”