The Old Deerfield Craft Fairs

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (Mass Appeal) - Whether you're looking for a unique gift for someone special or just want to browse around and admire all of the beautiful items for sale, the Old Deerfield Craft Fairs are a perfect place to go! The Village of Old Deerfield, Massachusetts is the home site of "New England's Most Beautiful Craft Fair!" Marcia Wojewoda, marketing director of the Old Deerfield Craft Fairs and Sheryl Blais, owner of Sheryl Blais Studios and an exhibitor at the fair shares more.

It's a museum organization, started back in the 1780s. The fundraiser started 35 years ago and that was one of the craft fairs in Deerfield. Since then, we added a couple more shows in the Eastern States, and the next one coming up is the Christmas Sampler.

I got started about 7 years ago, and I had a hair salon in the Springfield area, and I started creating jewelry and bringing it into the salon and selling it. I had a little bit of a medical problem where I had to give up my hairstyling career, so that's how I got started in the jewelry business.

It is crocheted with wire, using pearls or crystals, a touch of yarn in some of my pieces and they're all one-of-a-kind.

Well, because my work is one of a kind, it's constantly changing, and I'm coming up with new ideas each year to make it exciting.

The fundraiser itself supports educational activities that reach more than 11,000 students in 70 school districts. Three states.

So it is a wonderful fundraiser for us. We have exhibiters coming from about 14 states. There are about 42 local exhibit exhibiters. We have a lot of fun items that are good gifts for the holidays, whether it's a simple ornament or a collector's piece. Wonderful pottery, quilts, and the santa is a great decoration.

We probably have about 40 to 50 new exhibiters this year, and some returning who did the show maybe a few years back. One fellow who has shaker furniture, didn't come for a couple of years, and he's back, and I know a lot of people will be glad to see his wonderful cupboards.

9,000 - 12,000 people come to the show in the three days.

They love the people who make the items. It's very special to give a gift that someone has made by hand. You get to have a little bit of the story behind the gift too, which makes it more memorable.

We have many exhibiters with food items, special cookies for Christmas, and biscotti, one exhibiter features soups and breads and mixes, which are great gifts for the holiday season.

Event

Christmas Sampler
November 19 - 21, 2010
Eastern States Exposition
West Springfield, Ma

For more information, visit Deerfield-Craft.org .