PORT TOWNSEND — With October over and groups turning their attention to the holiday season, the Jefferson County Fairgrounds will host its Holiday Fair this Saturday and Sunday.
The 16th annual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at the fairgrounds at 4907 Landes St. in Port Townsend.
The fair is free to attend and the fair restaurant will be open to purchase breakfast and lunch during the event.
Fifty-six vendors are registered for the event and the tables vary from name brand companies, such as Tupperware and LuLaRoe, to homemade crafts including metalwork, sewing, knitting and candles to one vendor offering imports, Sue McIntire, Jefferson County Fairgrounds manager said.
“[There is] such a wide variety of them,” McIntire said. “But a lot of it is in the handcrafted.”
There will also be bee products, dream catchers, fused glass and mirrors, wood and scroll work and many other vendors throughout the fair.
“We have a real variety,” McIntire said.
The event is spread across four buildings on the grounds: the dinning hall, the 4-H building, the art building and the commercial building.
In addition to the vendors, there are activities for children, such as crafts, face painting and pictures with Santa.
“The 4-H club wanted to come in and do some crafts,” McIntire said. “So we have a craft corner for the kids.”
The pictures with Santa are McIntire’s favorite part of the event.
“It’s always fun to watch those kids get excited about Santa,” McIntire said.
Pictures with Santa will be from noon to 4 p.m. each day on the dining hall stage.
The event sees an estimated 1,500 people each year, but an exact figure is hard to confirm, as there is no entry fee or ticket needed for the event, McIntire said.
The hardest part of organizing the Holiday Fair is coordinating the vendor spaces and volunteers.
“This is so much easier than the [county] fair,” McIntire said. “But finding spots for all my vendors — I have a lot of vendors this year. …”
The event also has an hourly raffle that attendees can enter, which will have prizes donated by the vendors, McIntire said.
For more information, call the fair office at 360-385-1013, email jeffcofairgrounds@olypen.com or go to http://www.jeffcofairgrounds.com.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
