Artisans from Queensland, Tasmania, NSW and far flung parts of Victoria have gathered for the The Lost Trades Fair at the Bendigo Racecourse for an enormous show and tell session.

Many of the stalls were staffed by second or third generation crafters, including Ken Morrison (pictured) who works at the The Celtic Bakery with his father Russell.

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The pair use recipes dating as far back as the 16^th century and have traveled extensively to refine their trade.

"I grew up in the bakery with my Dad. We still roll out our pastry and cut it by hand. The only machinery we have in the bakery is our oven," Ken Morrison said.

"It's a niche product. We started it because nobody was baking in the traditional way. The skills of bakery have been eroded by the use of pre-mixes and margarines. We use butter."

The fair is entering its second day this morning, with thousands of people expected to flock to the racecourse to use pre-purchased tickets.

Lost Trades Fair founder and organiser Lisa Rundell said about 8000 tickets had been purchased online for the weekend, but more were being sold at the gate and Sunday was expected to be especially popular.

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The fair has given a distinct nod to this weekend's opening of the Elvis - Direct from Graceland exhibition, with stalls showing items from handcrafted blue suede shoes, to a jacket made by Luxe Fashion Studio fit for the king.

The family fashion brand, now in its third generation, mixes and dyes its own colours to create distinct pieces, including the ocean blue jacket in tribute to Elvis.

Some of the trades at the fair were so old, the artists couldn't determine a time that marked the beginning of their use.

Elizabeth Woodroofe learned the skill of crafting corn dollies from her mother, who played a key role in reviving the practice in the UK in the 1960s.

"The craft has been done since pagan times for good harvests from one season to the next," she said.

"They all convey good luck, prosperity, fertility. They have a good feeling about them."

Woodroofe makes the dolls and other items by stripping and soaking wheat stalks and weaving them into spirals to hang indoors and dolls.

Maori weaver, Lady Crown, was demonstrating the craft of traditional ceremonial cloak making, which predates written history.

"This is what we have always made and worn, going back thousands of years," she said.

"It is a tribal weaving technique, it's hand woven and it goes back to Hawaiki."

Lady Crown was working on a one-of-a-kind cloak at her stall on Saturday, which has already been promised to a baby girl.

"She has just been born and I am weaving into it the story of her mother and father and family," she said.

"It's dedicated to her and will be handed down her family line. She could not give it away, it would not have the same meaning for somebody else.

"You see these cloaks in museums - it's rare to see these being made."

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Traditional clothing making was popular at the fair, with many stalls showing the techniques used by varied cultures from a wide range of historic periods.

Suits of metal armour, traditional shoe making and finger knitting proving popular throughout the weekend.

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