A Show of Crafts for Warren | News, Sports, Jobs

An attendee, left, peruses the different jams and jellies offered by Teresa, far right, with Gram’s Jellies and Jams at the 8th Annual Warren Band Boosters Spring Craft and Vendor Fair Saturday afternoon.

With much local support, the 8th Annual Warren Band Boosters Spring Craft and Vendor Fair

was held Saturday to help fundraise for Warren’s musical ensembles.

The spring fair has been held since 2017 as an addition to the fall craft fair that has been held at Warren Local Schools for 44 years, according to band director Courtney Clark.

“The fall fair has always been a handmade crafts fair, but we open the spring one up to both crafters and vendors,” he said. “It is completely run by the band boosters and we fundraise for all of our ensembles; symphonic, marching, pep, and jazz bands. Both fairs fund 70% of our yearly budget.

They help us buy music, uniforms, equipment, and fund travel for competitions.”

Clark said that the Warren ensembles ‘would not be able to do it without the help of the band boosters and fairs.’

“We added the spring fair because of all the success we had with the fall fair,” he said. “We have 155 crafters at our fair this year, which makes it our biggest spring fair yet and rivals our fall fair. We actually have waiting lists for crafters and vendors for our fairs now because we have so many of them. So word is definitely getting out about our fair.”

The fair isn’t the only attraction during fall and spring. While the fair goes on, there are concessions available with homemade treats made by the band booster families and a country store where each crafter and vendor donates an item for a raffle to also go towards the band boosters.

Some crafters and vendors who have donated their time and creativity to the event are first timers at the fair.

Bobbie Reed, who does wood engraving and crocheting, was a first timer at the spring craft fair this year but has been going to events for years.

“This is my first time here, but I’ve been doing craft shows for years,” she said. “I recently retired and decided to come back to these events after 25 years.”

Teresa with Gran’s Jellies and Jams, another spring fair first timer, says that most of her craft doesn’t take a long time other than her dandelion jelly.

Vendors and crafts found at Saturday’s event consisted of jewelry, wax melts, stuffed animals, t-shirts, art, wood products, home decor, and bath and body items.

Whether a vendor or crafter has been at the fairs for years or for the first time, attendees of the fair have always been supporting it.

Kathy Bailey has been coming to the fall fair for nearly 25 years and the spring fair ever since its inception eight years ago.

“I’ve only really ever missed one fair,” Bailey said. “My grandkids went to this school, and my grandson’s wife and her sisters went here too.”

According to Clark, the fair would not be possible without the help and dedication of the ensemble students themselves.

“I want to thank the boosters and the students that help out with the fairs each year,” he said. “They really run the fairs, which, I think, sets our fairs apart from all others. It’s unique.”

Gretchen Dowler can be contacted at gdowler@newsandsentinel.com