Mars high school gets crafty for annual show
ADAMS TWP — The parking lots of three Mars Area schools overflowed Saturday during the 37th Annual Mars Area Fall Craft Show.
The show, which benefits the Mars International Student Organization through vendor fees, attracts vendors and visitors from throughout the tri-state area.
Maureen Orchard has coordinated the event for 38 years.
“We raise money for MISO,” Orchard said. “We have a large group of kids.”
Though MISO includes international students from several school districts in Butler County, the show supports foreign students in the Mars Area School District. Like other students, they must pay to be involved activities like sports and clubs.
Orchard's family is a host family for exchange students. She loves opening her home to teens who come from very different backgrounds.
“It's really neat to meet these people,” Orchard said. “The thing you need to do is get to know the students and talk to them.”
The MISO craft show used to take place in a single classroom in the middle school. Now, it takes place in both the high and middle schools.
But with the middle school under construction, some crafty planning went into this year's event which took place solely in the high school.
“We had a few complaints that it was too crowded,” Orchard said. “But not from any of the vendors.”
“To me, it's dangerous,” said Rona Anderson, a Mars resident who shopped Saturday. “(And) a lot of people aren't selling.”
But cramped quarters didn't stop the flow of visitors.
For $2 an adult, customers had access to crafts and foods from 225 vendors.
Some shoppers came with a strategic shopping list.
Others like to browse.
“We just look for unique stuff,” Anderson said.Anderson attended the show this year with her stepdaughter, Gretchen Monahan of North Fayette. Anderson and Monahan are always on the lookout for the basics: jewelry, wreaths and cookies.Though gridlocked hallways prevented quick shopping, Monahan said the turnout was still impressive. From her point of view, the Mars show is always a success.“It's a very popular one,” Monahan said. “Because everybody knows the crafts are quality.”Carol Bayne lives a mile from the high school and has been a show vendor for 25 years.Bayne sells handmade cards that she colors and cuts herself — a real feat, considering she has rheumatoid arthritis.“My doctor told me to get (into) a habit with my hands,” Bayne said. “Everything you see is done by these happy little hands.”Bayne started selling her work at craft shows to make some extra money for Christmas shopping.Now, her involvement is a family affair. Bayne's children — Nick Bayne and Mandy Laskey — and her sister, Roseanne Wilbert, manned her vendor table Saturday.Bayne brought over 500 cards to sell, which come with colored envelopes only.“Because your bills all come in white (ones),” Bayne said. “I make people happy.”Jean Laue's tie bags and table runners also make people happy, like Nicole Liberto of Wexford. Liberto frequently attends the craft show and always makes sure to check out Laue's merchandise.“I like that they're double-sided,” Liberto said.
Laue has been sewing for a number of years. She said her work really began with her tie bags.Laue said she's very careful to choose fabrics that work together, but also celebrate different times of year.The results are popular among customers.“It's the same with the bags,” Laue said.“She will not sew anything unless she feels it's meant to be,” said Linda Mayhugh, Laue's daughter.Laue said she makes hundreds of table runners and attends five shows a year.Historically, the craft show is an opportunity for vendors to share their passions.The show also appeals to customers such as Liberto, who does not like shopping at multilevel marketing events. Local vendors selling local creations is what Liberto looks for.“(This has) really good variety,” Liberto said. “It's all ... truly crafts.”Orchard does not let multilevel marketing vendors into the event because she wants to help true crafters find their niche.Orchard believes the Mars Fall Craft Show is so well attended — by vendors and shoppers alike — because of its atmosphere. If a vendor is “crabby” during a show, he or she isn't asked to return.This year's one-school show was an anomaly. Orchard said the show will be reverting to its two-school set up next year.The show is for an important cause, after all, she pointed out. MISO provides international students — and local families — with life-changing experiences.“To leave your country and to come over here for a year,” Orchard said. “They all seem to me so much more mature than our students.”
