The annual Craft Fair is welcomed back to the TJ gym for a unique shopping extravaganza.
Photo by Becca Hansen
On Saturday November 19, 2011 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm the Craft Fair returned to the TJ gym for its 22nd year of business, facilitated by TJ partners and National Honor Society volunteers, offering community members a unique shopping experience, tasty treats, and a book fair.
The Craft Fair in a deeply rooted tradition in which vendors purchase a booth to set up and sell their specialty crafts. Shoppers make their way through the maze of booths that line the TJ gym carrying everything from homemade salsas to knit garments to African art. “It was a good way to see very unique items and get an early jump on Christmas shopping. I went to the craft fair last year as well and love going to see the variety of things it has to offer. I enjoy meeting and talking with the artists that have booths at the fair as well,” said TJ Parent Lisa Hansen.
Many vendors at this year’s craft fair have set up shop at TJ before and have found it to be lucrative. However, the real success is for the school. Shoppers, in addition to purchasing cool crafts, can feel good about giving back to TJ. Different clubs and activities within the school make their own booths to help fundraise and earn money. This year Special Education, Softball, and the Class of 2012 all had booths in which they sold artwork and different goodies. “The craft fair was fun and very interesting. I think it was a good opportunity to raise some money for my class as well as a good event to support different programs at TJ,” said Senior Cole Stewart.
A favorite element of the craft fair for shoppers is the book fair held in the lunchroom. The book fair sells CDs, records, video games, puzzles, board games, and of course books. Shoppers can find good deals on these items; the books usually go for about $1.00 each. The reading material contains literature for all ages with everything from Dr. Seuss to John Grisham books.
The craft fair also features a café for fair goers after their shopping trip. The menu offers breakfast burritos, sandwiches, tacos, and various deserts and drinks. Athletics Secretary Cindy Allen is the purveyor of the food for the café and NHS volunteers help to serve it to customers.
Along with serving food at the café, NHS volunteers help to set up the craft fair and to clean up after the event. “The craft fair was great place for NHS members to get community service hours. We got our hours by helping out all the artists bring in all their crafts from their cars in the morning and then helped them to take their stuff back to their cars at the end of the day,” said NHS Officer Daniel Wakefield.
