Thousands attend craft show
By RACHEL LANE, rlane@newsandsentinel.comArticle Photos
VINCENT - After several days of hard work, the 30th annual Warren Band Boosters Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday was called a success.
Over 3,000 people were estimated to attend and view more than 150 craft booths, eat and hear the various school choirs and hand bells perform. Band booster president Angie Powell said as far as she knows, this fair has been the best organized.
"I think it's probably our best year," Powell said. "This is the largest fundraiser we do."
Purses, leather belts, pottery, wood carvings, jams, honey and knitted items were among the crafts available in the six buildings that make up the school. Each building is connected with a long glass hallway. Lunch items could be purchased in the cafeteria and near the gymnasium.
Powell said the band boosters raise almost all of the money used to support the band.
"We pay for the buses to take students to competitions and to football games. We pay for the flags, the uniforms and band camp," she said.
Rose Dickson, event chairwoman, said the band boosters raise funds to keep band fees lower.
"Within this one fundraiser, we have lots of little fundraisers," she said, such as the band selling Warrior items, conducting bake sales, holding a raffle and selling food for lunch.
"Some of the kids (in band) work all day. They may be in choir, bells and band so they work, stop to perform, work, then perform again," Dickson said.
Powell said the boosters appreciate the quality crafters, the community support and the help the community provides.
"We have such a diverse group of crafts this year... I can't imagine what we don't have," Dickson said.
Powell said she helped with the event as a band student while in high school. It is easier to be a student because students are given specific tasks while the parents try to do everything to make the event successful and fun for everyone.
"We've been worried about (the economy) but so far, we haven't seen" the fundraisers affected, Powell said.
During the Barlow Fair, the band boosters raised more money than it does most years.
Lori McDole, co-owner of Stone Bridge Farm and Apiary, said Saturday was the first time she has operated a booth at the Warren craft show.
"There have been massive amounts of people," McDole said. "If it keeps up, I'm probably going to have to send (Tim McDole) home to get more."
It was the busiest craft festival she has attended, she said. The pepper butter sold out completely within the first few hours and she was running low on homemade bread.
"Honey is the main thing" she sells, McDole said.
The dark honey, from wild flowers, is harvested in the fall. The darker the honey, the richer the flavor, she said. The light colored spring honey, locust honey, has a milder flavor, she said.
"At the (West Virginia) Honey Festival, it won the people's choice award," McDole said. "It's only the second year we've done honey, so we're proud of that."
She also sold jellies, jams and a doll house her father made. McDole said the festival organizers and the band members were very helpful, collecting lunch orders for crafters who could not leave their booths.
Pam Dingey, of McConnelsville, said it was the fourth year she has brought crafts from her company, Flowers, Gifts and More.
"I've sold a lot but until the end of the day, I don't really know how I did... With the economy the way it is, I just don't know," Dingey said. "There seem to be a lot more people here.... I don't know if they're buying as well."
She said the Ohio State items and seasonal arrangements seemed to be selling well. Christmas items sell well, but she did not bring many to Saturday's show.
"It's a nice place to start your Christmas shopping because you can get original stuff that you're not going to find in stores," Dingey said.
She said the organizers and students were very helpful.
"They helped me unload and load the crafts," Dingey said.
Michael West, owner of Artistic Wood Working in Athens, said he is a vendor at the craft fair because a friend suggested he try it.
He said there had been many people, but not many purchases.
"I think the economy's impacting purchases for sure," West said.
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littlenana
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11-02-08 5:23 PM
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I think it is amazing how much work band parents are willing to do to keep the program going. It would be nice if the newspaper provided more coverage of the competition results for those of us who can not attend.
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