Crafts attract more than 3,000
ADAMS TWP — More than 3,000 shoppers braved cold and occasionally snowy conditions Saturday for the 2013 Mars Fall Craft Show.
“It’s one of our biggest attendances ever,” said longtime show coordinator Maureen Orchard.
The event is held each year at the Mars middle school and high school and is one of the most anticipated craft shows in the area.
Proceeds from the event benefit the high school’s Mars International Students Association. On Monday, Orchard did not yet have a final tally on the amount raised.
The 250 vendors who set up their food or wares in the hallways, gymnasiums and cafeterias in the two schools were approved by show coordinators, as more vendors than the schools can accommodate apply for space each year.
Orchard said popular vendors this year included a man from Beaver County who paints pictures of trains, scenes from the 1950s and other subjects; a man who makes wooden models of construction vehicles, fire trucks, trains and other items; and a woman who paints stemware that appears to be stained glass.
“We bought a painting of a train for our grandson’s bedroom,” Orchard said. “He just loves trains.”
Orchard said food vendors were also busy selling a plethora of items to the hungry crowds.
Pizza, soup, hot sandwiches and all manner of sweets were among the food snapped up for consumption at cafeteria tables set up at both schools.
Orchard said the five roasters of halushki prepared and sold by members of the Order of the Eastern Star, Mars Chapter, were gone by 1 p.m.
Students in the MISA Club helped set up and clean up for the show as usual. Orchard said they also helped vendors carry their items and tables to their cars during a snow squall after the show ended at 4 p.m.
She said a handful of Mars custodians supervised the cleanup effort.
“We were there until about 6:30 p.m.,” Orchard said.
She said one vendor gave the busy students four boxes of the cookies she had been selling at the event.
“They appreciated that,” Orchard said.
She was pleased with the high-quality wares this year’s craft show attracted and, according to feedback from the vendors, so did shoppers.
“The vendors all said they did well,” she said.
