People browse craft vendor tables in the Warren High School gym Saturday during the Warren Local Band Boosters’ 45th Annual Fall Arts and Crafts Fair. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

VINCENT — The Warren Local Band Boosters hosted their 45th Annual Fall Arts and Crafts Fair Saturday at Warren High School, drawing over 4,000 people to the campus.

“It’s the most significant activity on the Warren campus all year; there’s not a sporting event or other academic event that really comes close to the traffic that we create for this fall fair,” said Courtney Clark, head band director at Warren high and middle schools.

Clark said the event, which has been a tradition since 1980 and is held on the first Saturday of November every year, supports the middle school and high school marching bands; jazz, symphonic and winter programs; Winter Guard; and indoor percussion.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the entire year,” Clark said “We use the funds from this to support all facets of our program.”

He said proceeds will also benefit the band’s participation in a national competition this month.

Marie Scott, left, owner of Down the Rabbit Hole Acres, speaks to Debbie Fries Saturday about some of her products at the Warren Local Band Boosters’ 45th Annual Fall Arts and Crafts Fair. Scott said she owns her own goats and alpacas to help her create her products. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

The craft show featured 130 vendors offering a variety of goods, including candles, soaps, knitted items, 3D-printed crafts and items for children, adults and pets. Clark said the fall craft show is unique in that all the vendors are crafters, unlike the spring event which includes some retail vendors as well.

Marie Scott, owner of Down the Rabbit Hole Acres, said she moved here from Indianapolis, and has been an herbalist for 15 years. She said she owns her own goats and alpacas, which helps her make her own products. She said she has been coming to the event the last three years.

“I love it,” Scott said. “It’s such a great event, well organized, and (the proceeds) go to so many different schools and programs. You wouldn’t see that in Indianapolis.”

Scott said she plans to attend the event next year, as well.

“I already have my application filled out,” Scott said.

Liz Morris, right, owner of Crazy Hens Creations, boxes up some homemade treats for Terry Hendershot Saturday during the Warren Local Band Boosters’ 45th Annual Fall Arts and Crafts Fair. Morris, a graduate of Warren High School, said she’s been selling homemade treats at the event for 12 years. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

Mother and daughter pair Cathy Mace and Liz Morris, owners of Crazy Hens Creations and graduates of Warren High School, say they have been coming to the event for years to sell their homemade treats.

“My mom has been coming for 35-plus, and I’ve been part of it for 12 years,” Morris said.

She said this was the second year they brought their homemade fudge and people really liked it.

“We sold out of it pretty quickly,” Morris said.

Clark said another key aspect of the craft show is the involvement of the band students, who assist vendors with setting up and tearing down their booths.

People browse craft vendor tables in the Warren Elementary School cafeteria Saturday during the Warren Local Band Boosters’ 45th Annual Fall Arts and Crafts Fair. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

“The students start on Friday after school, setting up, and they’ll be here till 7 o’clock tonight, cleaning up,” Clark said. “And you’d think that they would be trying to stay away, but most of our students are here all day. And look forward to this. They look forward to having a moment to go and buy their plush toys or get some snacks or get some baked goods from the bake sale.”

He said the event attracts a significant number of community members, with an estimated 2,000 paying customers and over 4,000 people in total passing through the campus.

He also said the event’s success is attributed to the hard work of the boosters and the event coordinator, Carol Ingram.

“They do a lot behind the scenes prior to this day, and then our boosters work so hard to make this a seamless event,” Clark said. “I don’t know how, but it seems to get easier every year.”

Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com