Crafts, food fill Civic Center
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As thousands of people make their way through the doors of the Civic Center today and tomorrow, there are no booth vacancies. All 170 spots have been taken and reservations for booths have been booked since this summer.
Burton Jones is another long-time vendor lucky enough to get a booth at the craft fair in order to sell dozens of his homemade jams, jellies and preserves this year. It’s something he has been doing for the past 10 years.
“The customers, the customers, we have the customers,” Jones said of the reason why he shows up as a vendor year after year. “We have a lot of repeat customers. We have good products and everything is homemade. Some of these things, you can’t find in stores.”
That is, in fact, the draw, show coordinator and Union Planters president Glyna Lee said of the event, which the bank sponsors each year.
“Everything is handmade and we have good prices and great quality of work,” she said. “Some of these people have been in the show since it started and this is our 35th year. We started on the third floor of the bank downtown with 21 booths and it’s grown to this. And, it’s not only just the crafts, but it’s kind of like a homecoming for all the crafters since a lot of them repeat, so we have a really good time.”
Civic Center employees look forward to the event each year as it brings thousand of people through the doors and into the Christmas spirit.
“The Civic Center is excited they’re coming again,” Parks and Recreation director Carlene Brown said. “It’s such a big event that people look forward to every year. It’s 100 percent sold out. Every booth has been taken with people waiting to get a space if something happens if people have to leave and fulfill their space.”
The craft fair takes place today and tomorrow at the Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and admission is free. Door prizes, free shopping bags to the first 500 people through the doors each day and country hams are planned to be given away.