Community Corner
Two-Day Craft Fair Offered at Lafayette High School
Volunteers and 150-plus vendors were busy at the first day of Lafayette's annual craft fair to benefit the school's band members.
Many shoppers attended today's 43rd annual craft fair at in Wildwood. With more than 150 vendors, there should be something for almost every name on any Christmas list.
The event, running on Dec. 4-5, is a fundraiser for the school's Band Boosters.
Craft fair co-chairs, Jeannine Naunan and Joanna Rich, started planning this weekend event in December 2009. Each year, the co-chairs of the craft fair ask the vendors to complete surveys, and then use that information to organize the next year's event.
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The co-chairs are also in charge of a group of volunteers from the school's student body. At 6:30 a.m. this morning, 30 student volunteers came to Lafayette to carry in items for the vendors and help set up the booths. The students are members of the Lafayette High School band. Students also rotate through three other areas throughout the day: the welcome center, silent auction area and food concessions.
Rich said, "The student volunteers are paid for their help during the craft fair set up. This money is then donated to the band."
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Another group of students will come in at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday and work until 7 p.m. to help clean up after the event.
"We have a variety of vendors," said Naunan. "We want to draw a large crowd with a variety of items to choose from."
Naunan said they always have a lot of vendors submitting applications to be a part of the fair. So many, in fact, she said they have actually had to turn away some vendors because that particular items are already well represented at the fair.
Of all the booths present at the craft fair, both Rich and Naunan agree the vendors selling jewelry continue to be consistently popular with the crowds. They also agree that booths selling photography are also busy with shoppers.
This year's event has a few newcomers: K & T Bowtique Designs and Green Jute. K & T Bowtique Designs specializes in hair bows, headbands and flip flops. Green Jute's owner, Manjula Pothuri, designs her own line of reusable totes. They come in variety of colors and are environmentally friendly.
The following businesses donated products for door prizes and food to this year's fair:
- The Corner Pub and Grill
- Dewey's Pizza
- Gaffney's Sports store.