It is usually students and teachers who travel through the hallways at Warren High School, but Saturday, those hallways will be filled with people getting a head start on their Christmas shopping, catching up with old friends and enjoying treats like chicken and noodles and baked goods along the way.
Not only the hallways, but also the gymnasium and cafeteria at the school on Warrior Drive in Vincent will be filled with about 140 vendors during the Warren Band Boosters Craft Fair.
It's an event that has been held for almost 30 years and draws several hundred people. While the attendees think of it as a fun day of browsing and buying items offered by the various vendors, for the high school's band, it's a major fundraiser.
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People spend time in the gymnasium at Warren High School last year during the Warren Band Boosters Craft Fair.
"On a good year, we can make up to $15,000 at the event," said Courtney Clark, the high school's band director. "All of the money we receive is from concessions and admission and the fee the crafters pay. We don't take any percentage of what the crafters make (and) that's one reason I think we're able to get so many crafters."
Clark said the money goes towards, among other things, covering costs associated with trips the band takes. In fact, he said some craft fair proceeds will be used when the marching band travels to Indianapolis, Ind. next week for the Bands of America Grand National Championships.
Although it is officially called a craft fair, there are more than just crafts there.
Fact Box
If you go
Warren Band Boosters Craft Fair; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday; $2 per person; Warren High School, 130 Warrior Drive, Vincent.
Little Hocking Elementary School fall carnival; 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday; Little Hocking Elementary School, 95 Federal Road, Little Hocking.
Ely Chapman Education Foundation fall festival; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday; Ely Chapman center, 403 Scammel St., Marietta.
Our Lady of Mercy C.W.C. 23rd annual craft show; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 12; Our Lady of Mercy Church Hall, Lowell Hill Road, Lowell.
New Matamoras Elementary fourth annual craft show; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 19; Matamoras Elementary, 1000 Stover Ave., New Matamoras.
Christmas in the Village craft show; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 3; Betsey Mills Club, 300 Fourth St., Marietta.
Trail Blazers 4-H club tack swap and craft sale; 1 to 7 p.m., Dec. 10; Barlow Fairgrounds, intersection of Ohio 550 and Ohio 339 in Barlow.
Amesville resident Susan Sherman will sell handmade pottery, soap and lotion. She said she has participated in the fair for about 12 years.
"It's so well-attended and the variety there is what keeps people coming back," she said. "I've heard people fly home to come to this fair."
Sherman said she has made a living making pottery for the past 30 years. Her business is called Marietta Run Clay, named after the road on which she lives, Marietta Run Road.
"I make hand thrown and hand painted pottery - that means I make it on a wheel and it's not molds," she said.
Sherman does not make the soap and lotion that will be at her booth - those are made by Louise Hawkins, owner of New Lexington, Ohio-based Apricot Hills.
While the smell of the soap and lotion will be emanating from Sherman's booth, the sweet smell of maple syrup will no doubt be coming from Bill and Rita Harra's booth at the fair.
Rita Harra said while they've participated in the craft show about 10 years, the tradition of making maple syrup goes back much further than that in her husband's family.
"My husband's grandfather used to make syrup and it's been passed down to him, so he's been doing it a good 35, 40 years," said Harra, of Waterford. "We've gradually gotten bigger because equipment has gotten better and there are more trees to tap."
She said the process of getting the sap from the trees begins in February and once the weather warms up and buds start popping up on the trees - usually about the middle of March - the tree tapping process is finished. The sap is then boiled in the sugar house and eventually bottled up to be sold.
"We do get people that come back year after year and they'll say 'I'm glad you're here' or 'I was hoping you were going to be here,'" Harra said "A lot of people buy it for the holidays for gifts. It's a different type of gift."
Folks will also be able to pick up Christmas gifts at Tonya Robey's booth at the fair. Robey, owner of Mad Hen Primitives on Front Street in Marietta, will be selling handmade primitive furniture, dolls, seasonal items and other small primitive things.
She said she also used to participate in many other craft shows, and in fact, she decided to open the store because her items were in such high demand at the shows.
"Now we've just narrowed it to the ones we like the most (and) this is definitely one we don't want to give up," said Robey, of Warren Township. "My kids go to that school and I used to go there and it's personal to us because we know everybody."
Robey said Mad Hen Primitives is a family business, with her mother, Willa Wetz, helping out with the sewing and painting and her father, Roy Wetz, doing the woodwork.
In addition to the food and vendors, there will also be a country store and raffle at the craft fair. The items that will be raffled off include a 22-pound turkey, a 17-pound Virginia ham, a $500 Speedway gas card, two cornhole games and a 2011 Polaris Sportsman 400 ATV with a carry on 5 feet by 8 feet mesh trailer and off road helmet.
Tickets are $5 per ticket or five tickets for $20. Participants need not be present to win.
