Behind the Scenes: Donna Williams, Feria Coordinator

Donna Williams

Creating the Feria is somewhat like building and stocking a Walmart on Thursday and taking it down again on Sunday afternoon. 

On Thursday, buses pull into the Chapala Yacht Club and hundreds of artisans each with dozens of boxes and bags of artwork have to be directed to the right tents, helped with any last minute issues, and reassured that everything is going to be okay. 

Thursday looks like an ant hill that’s been dumped onto a new piece of ground, but by Friday morning at 9:30, everything sparkles. Artisans are in their booths, art work attractively displayed, the coffee is hot at the food and beverage stations, colorful decorations adorn the booths, and signs identify the vendors, the art and where the bathrooms are.

The magician who makes all of this happen is Donna Williams, Feria Coordinator, with many dedicated volunteers helping, of course. Donna herself is tall, calm, elegant, looking as if she had done nothing more than wave a magic wand. She sparkles as much as the Feria grounds. 

How does she do it? “I spent 35 years as an ER nurse,” she says, as if that explains it all, and maybe it does.

One of the 85 booths being set up

Volunteers adding color to the Feria

Donna moved to the Lake Chapala area in 2002 from Sedona, Arizona, and went to the first Feria 17 years ago. By the time she went to the second, she had decided she wanted to be part of the event. It didn’t take long before she was not only part of it, she was the behind-the-scenes magician and on the Board of Directors. When asked what keeps her volunteering, she quickly talks about the joy of meeting and helping the artists. “The tears and hugging,” as she calls it. She visits many of the artists in their villages as she and her husband travel around Mexico.

You can almost always recognize long-time volunteers because they have the coolest outfits they’ve collected over the years. When you see Donna, say “hi.” She may not have time to stop and talk but she will beam a smile on you that will make you sparkle, too.