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Date: 10/25/2022
EASTHAMPTON – The Easthampton High School (EHS) World Language Club will host its seventh annual craft fair to help offset the cost of students planning to travel to Costa Rica in the spring of 2023.
The club provides students with opportunities to travel within the United States and abroad. “Our goal is to learn about different cultures and apply the language skills learned.” according to a statement on its website.
On April 27, 29 students will embark on an adventure to the Central American country and participate in activities such as horseback riding on the beach, attending a folklore performance, ziplining and white-water rafting.
The cost for the trip is $2,400 per student, for which families are responsible for raising their funds.
Antonietta Mangos, a Spanish teacher at the EHS who leads the club, started the craft fair fundraiser seven years ago to help offset additional costs for students traveling through the EHS program. This year they are hoping to raise $8,000, which will cover other travel expenses and extra activities such as tips for guides, bus transportation and lunch for the day of departure.
Attendees can expect over 50 local vendors selling artisan specialties like jewelry, knitting, wood carving and Christmas and holiday items like reefs and decorations.
“We have a young man that does wood carving, really gorgeous stuff. I actually go around to various craft fairs or different locations, and I kind of hand-picked what maybe we haven’t represented yet. We have a lot of crafters that have been doing it since the beginning, then, of course, each year we have some new people,” said Mangos.
She said that besides the crafters, the local band Accousticca will be performing, as well as some members from the Easthampton chorus.
The students are also active participants in the fundraising efforts during these events and will be working throughout the day assisting vendors and selling calendar raffles and food – “It’s a great opportunity for different kids to bond before we leave for our trip, noted Mangos.
She also noted said these trips enrich the students’ lives by providing them with life experiences outside the region and can even take them outside of their shells. “We have one particular student who is typically introverted, and after a trip to Guatemala he came back noticeably more open and outgoing.”
The craft fair will be on Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the EHS located at 70 Williston Ave. Masks are strongly encouraged.