For the sixth time in seven years, Loretta Coleman invited a host of local vendors to her Riverside home to promote their wares.

This time, though, her Spring Fling was far larger than it had ever been before.

“When I put it out on Facebook and my other contacts, everybody was gung-ho to come,” Coleman, owner of Loretta’s Garden, said of the showcase on Saturday, May 1.

Previous Spring Flings had featured a maximum of 28 vendors. This year’s event drew 44.

“And I have people who want to come next year already,” Coleman said. “I finally cut it off… just because I didn’t have any more room.”

Her home is on a spacious lot overlooking a lake, just east of Route 218. In past years, the wide, open field was room enough for vendors. This year, some were positioned inside her machine shed just because of how many there were.

Vendors and customers alike seemed happy with the turnout.

“I like to repurpose things, so I come here and find things,” shopper Lacey Stransky said. “We come every year, but now there’s just more things to find.”

The event ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hundreds of guests stopped by, not letting blustery conditions get in the way of supporting local businesses.

“I try to stay small and stay fairly local,” Coleman said of the vendors. “I really like to stay with the crafts and the artisans. Those are the ones who do something different, something fun.”

Coleman doesn’t charge for the vendors to sell on her property. She said she views it as an opportunity both for their businesses and her greenhouse, calling it “a win-win.”

Many of the vendors said they enjoy participating, and often return year after year.

“It’s always a great event because it brings all the local vendors together,” Sabrina Awe, co-owner of Revasser Winery, said.

This was her company’s third year participating in the Spring Fliwng. She said it was a chance to meet potential customers because the winery is currently open by appointment only.

“I think it’s just what the vendors are looking for because they’ve been so secluded for so long,” Awe said.

For vendors and customers alike, the event was a return to form of sorts. Coleman had cancelled the 2020 Spring Fling because of the pandemic. This year, she surmised, many of the vendors and customers came partly because they just wanted to be out doing things again.

“We all need a break right now,” she said.

And after four months of planning, plus two days of set-up, Coleman said she was happy with how the 2021 version turned out.

“Every year it’s gotten bigger and bigger,” she said. “It’s a lot of work but it’s a lot of fun.”