Craft Fair Review

By Connie Kent

Though the 2020 Craft Fair on 5-6 November was smaller than usual, and it was different in many ways, it was a success for the twenty-five vendors and one hundred sixty-five shoppers who participated. Covid restrictions required that we limit the number of people in the auditorium, and storage of dining room furniture in half the auditorium limited the size of displays and the number of vendors. To maximize the number of shoppers, vendors couldn’t be present at their tables during the fair. Shoppers were limited to RVM residents and employees. The fair was held over two days rather than the usual single day.

Eight shoppers at a time were greeted by a sheriff wearing a black vest and sheriff’s badge. The sheriff was in place in case we had long, unruly lines of shoppers. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Shoppers seemed to spread themselves out over the two days of the fair, and at no time were there long lines of people waiting to come in. The sheriff offered visitors a shopping bag, encouraged them to follow the arrows on the floor as they moved through the displays, and reminded them to maintain six foot distance from each other.

Inside the auditorium, a floor monitor was available with hand sanitizer and to direct traffic and answer questions. Following the procedure that worked well at the Big Sale, shoppers took their bags of treasures to a receipt writer, who noted each vendor number and the price of each item. Then shoppers took their receipt to a cashier just outside the auditorium and paid for their purchases.

One of this year’s innovations was a Virtual Fair during the month before the actual Craft Fair. Vendors who chose could advertise their offerings on The Complement website and/or on Channel 900. In addition, a number of craft items were on exhibit in display cabinets just outside the Plaza and the Manor dining rooms. Many vendors indicated they would accept advance sales. Advance sales accounted for about 30% of the total proceeds.

Another innovation was a two item Silent Auction during the week preceding the Fair. A quilt made by the Piece Makers, and a Sharlyn Woolley memorial afghan, made of sampler squares knitted by Sharlyn and assembled by Connie Kent, were on exhibit in the Manor lobby for people to bid on.

Many vendors contributed their proceeds to charities such as specific Foundation funds like Fairy Godmothers or the Disaster Relief Fund. Others, such as Piece Makers, will use theirs for materials to make things to donate to charities such as the Maslow Project.

We look forward to including some of this year’s innovations in future years’ Craft Fairs. We hope, though, by next November, to once again invite the Rogue Valley public and have a bigger fair with more vendors.