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Date: 10/5/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – The falling foliage will offer a quintessential New England backdrop as the historic Norcross House hosts its second craft fair of the year.
“We’ve got some really interesting stuff. Most of it is handmade,” said Dolly Nelson, a member of the Norcross House Board who is spearheading the craft fair. Among the items on offer at the craft fair are soy candles, jewelry, stained glass, pottery and wood décor.
The Norcross House has secured 25 vendors so far, but Nelson said they are expecting a few more to confirm. There is space for 30 vendors in total.
“We were hoping to do a kid’s corner where [children] could do a craft in the Carriage House to sell. You know, a lot of kids make bracelets and things like that,” said Donna Martinez, president of the Norcross House. “We’d like to get kids crafting.”
Martinez said the $25 vendor registration fee raises money for the Norcross House’s operations. Each vendor also donates an item to the raffle and the proceeds help fund the organization.
The organization has a goal of two craft fairs per year, with one in the spring and another in the fall. The craft fair hosted in June went well, Nelson said.
“The traffic was fairly good, and we got positive reviews from the vendors,” she said.
She estimated that the organization made $600 in registration fees and another roughly $200 from the raffle.
The Norcross Center is dependent on donations and fundraising. In addition to events like the craft fairs, the organization rents out the Carriage House at the property’s rear. “We’re trying to get some art classes going,” Nelson said, but the space is also used for weddings, showers, birthdays and other events.
For more information about the Norcross House, located at 85 Maple St., visit https://www.norcrosscenter.org.