Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 10/30/2023
BELCHERTOWN – With the holiday season quickly approaching, multiple churches and other organizations in town will be hosting their annual holiday fairs and bazaars on Saturday, Nov. 4.
St. Francis of Assisi Parish
Located at 12 Park St., the St. Francis of Assisi Parish will be hosting its Christmas Fair from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The fair will include 50 basket raffles, crafts, gifts and a bakery filled with breads, cookies, cakes and pies.
There is also a kid’s shop with Santa’s helpers to help children purchase gifts for their parents.
According to the Office Manager Louise Christ, there is a group that makes the crafts throughout the year, and everything is donated.
“We have all sorts of things — baby clothes, jewelry, Christmas decorations. All the proceeds benefit the church,” she added.
There will also be a café serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with homemade soups, sandwiches, grilled cheese and hot dogs.
There will also be beverages served including coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, soda and water.
Christ added, “This event is very popular, and all the churches and Stone House Museum also have a fair that day, so people are always in and out checking out what each fair has to offer.”
Senior Center
The Belchertown Senior Center, 60 State St., will host its annual Holiday Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Belchertown Senior Citizens’ Center Association said they are looking forward to hosting this event again this year.
Senior Center Director Jessica Langlois said, “It is a big fundraising event for that group which then helps the Senior Center with things that we need.”
The event will include a chance for residents to stock up on holiday gifts or buy something for yourself.
There will be different crafters who will have items for purchase in the main dining room such as knitted or crochet items as well as ornaments and kids clothes.
Langlois added that the Senior Center has not been able to put on this event for “at least” two years so she expects a large selection of items to purchase due to the crafters possibly having nowhere else to sell their products.
The Thrift Shop will also be open all day as well.
In addition, there will be approximately 70 raffle baskets that residents can win that have mostly been donated by community members.
Langlois said, “The event is a great opportunity the community together and to come into the center to see what we have going on here too. I hope folks have the opportunity to stop down here. I know we are a few miles from the center of town which also does their bazaars that day but if folks come right down [Route 202] we are here and happy to have everyone come in.”
Hope United Methodist Church
Longtime member of the church and Holiday Bazaar Chair Joan McManus said the church fair, known for their jams, jellies and cookies, will be featured again at their annual Holiday Bazaar.
“There will be dozens and dozens of various jams and jellies. We are really known for that, people come for that,” she said.
A few years ago, the church added a cookie shop where all the cookies are homemade by people of the church and are a hot commodity, according to McManus.
There will also be a bake sale table and another craft table that will include items made by the church members.
You can fill a small bakery bag with cookies for $6.
There will also be a silent auction for a Harley Davidson quilt and throw pillows, a woven throw blanket that is embroidered for Christmas and two hand knit adult sweaters.
McManus added there will be 12 outside vendors at the event to sell their items including soap, notebooks, notecards.
The event takes place at 31 Main St. and will serve donuts and coffee from 9-11 a.m. and a cup of soup from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
McManus said, “I think this is a great day for the community. All of the churches and Stone House Museum and Senior Center take place on the same day. People come out and make a day of it moving around from one place to another. It’s a great time to catch up with people that you haven’t seen for a long time. It’s a very social time and people look forward to it.”
Belchertown United Church of Christ
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Belchertown United Church of Christ, located at 18 Park St., will host a craft and bake sale.
There will be approximately 20 local crafters will be selling various handmade crafts including slate painting, cutting boards, knitted items, quilted items, handmade soaps, photography, painted items, dog and cat treats, jams and jellies.
Holiday Craft Fair Chair Lucy Jamgochian said, “I think it is great exposure for all the churches and all the other organizations who get involved. It is great for everybody to be able to do one event on one day throughout the town.”
There will also be baked potatoes, chili, hot dogs and popcorn for purchase.
Stone House Museum
The Stone House Museum, 20 Maple St., will host its major fundraiser of the year and this year’s Yuletide Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Belchertown Historical Association Trustee Sally Shattuck said, “Our event is called yuletide which kind of goes back to the 19th century, the 1800s they called it yuletide rather than the bazaar fair and it is run by the board of trustees.”
The event will include 30-50 raffle baskets and a bake sale which will feature pot pies, pies, cakes, cookies, fudge, whoopie pies, according to Shattuck.
“A lot of the organizations do baskets because it is a nice thing and an easy gift for people to give but what makes our fair unique is that it takes place in the Stone House Museum which was built in 1827 so we decorate the house the way it would have been decorated in the mid-1800s. It adds a different atmosphere to the craft fair,” Shattuck added.
Shattuck thinks each organization having their own holiday fair or holiday bazaar is great for the town.
She said, “People can come and walk across the common and up and down the streets and hit five or six different fairs instead of having to drive to Brimfield for one and Hadley for one and Granby for one. They can hit five or six all in one day. That is something that makes Belchertown unique.”
Belchertown Twirlers
For its 22nd year, the Belchertown Twirlers will be hosting their annual holiday craft fair at the Old Town Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Belchertown Twirlers Board President Audrianna LaVallee said, “This is a big fundraiser for the Belchertown Baton Twirler Youth Team. Our twirlers compete all over and this fundraiser helps to fund their competitions and their uniforms as well as fun group activities. We look forward to this event every year, it is a community favorite.”
She added there will be raffles and snacks or drinks for purchase.