The craft fair is helping the community get holiday shopping out of the way and teachers update their classrooms.
Artwork by Mia Nogueira
On Saturday, November 20th Thomas Jefferson will be hosting a free Holiday Market and Craft Fair, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the TJ gym. This is an opportunity for crafters to purchase a booth and set up all those wonderful projects and crafts that deserve recognition. Along with people selling their homemade crafts, there will also be a used book sale.
“This is our 21st year doing this tradition at TJ,” said Sherri Diamond, TJ parent and volunteer for the craft fair. “We’re going to have 80 to 100 vendors at this event and also have booths for anyone who wants to sell their crafts. We will also have a café open so you can take a break from the fun shopping to get some food.”
To purchase one of these booths to show case one’s skills in the craft world, e-mail craftfairtj@gmail.com or call Susan Freeland, the head honcho for the event, at 303-751-4164. “There are two sizes of booths that you can purchase. The first size booth is known as a single booth and can be purchased for 55 dollars. Its exact dimensions are eight by seven feet. The second option that you have is a double booth, 16 by seven feet, and is sold at 90 dollars,” said Diamond.
Along with going around creating and collecting cool crafts, the community also is able to give back to TJ, as well. Thomas Jefferson is hosting a used book sale along with the fair. “You can bring your used books, CD’s, video games, puzzles, board games, and many more things. We will be accepting the donations all the way up till the day before the craft fair, November 19th. You can take your used items to the main office where they will be gladly accepted,” said Diamond.
All the proceeds will benefit the students, since it will be partially funding the Teacher Grants that Partners provides every year. After the fair the money is gathered by the partners and then reintroduced to the teachers. From here the teachers are able to ask for new things, like technology or classroom supplies, for instance, with the money raised.
Everyone who is anyone knows that shopping always brings out one’s appetite. Luckily for the craft fair goers, the lunchroom will be serving as a café and will be open for lunch. The proceeds from the café will also go to the teacher grants, and who doesn’t like raising money while eating?
“Last year’s craft fair was a real success,” said Diamond. “We were able to raise over $6,000 for the teachers and it was a great way for everyone to get their holiday shopping out of the way. It was also at the perfect time for people to gather the last minute gifts since it was right before Thanksgiving,” she said.
Diamond says to keep this fair going full throttle into the future they need more parent volunteers to help out next year. “This year we have mostly senior parents helping out; we need other class parents to volunteer,” said Diamond. “This is our 21st year doing the fair and we certainly don’t want it to be the last.”
So Thomas Jefferson Community, let’s get to that early holiday shopping and raising money for those teachers’ classrooms. Stop by the craft fair on November 20th, 2010 between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m in the TJ gym and experience this 21st annual event.
