Holiday Craft Bazaar at Fort Ritchie Community Center

By Chris O’Connor

Nothing says, “Let’s go Christmas shopping,” like balmy, seventy-degree weather on a Saturday in mid-December.

Beverly Coyle, Fort Ritchie Community Center’s event organizer, stated that the turnout for the annual Holiday Craft Bazaar was impressive, though it generally is the best-attended of the three arts and crafts shows held at the Community Center throughout the year.

Since the bazaar’s inception in 2008, Beverly has noticed the show’s growing popularity, including the variety of arts and crafts, the number of vendors, and the public interest in the event.

The Holiday Bazaar was a convenient venue to do some shopping on the Mountain, with ample free parking and good food. There were a variety of handmade items and crafts, local distributors for Mary Kay cosmetics, palm oil scented candles and soaps by Mia Bella, and others too numerous to mention.

This year, there were seventy vendors, with ten on a waiting list for a space. If Beverly had known the weather was going to be so mild, she said she could have easily accommodated additional artists and vendors on the patio outdoors.

Instead, the exterior patio held tables and chairs, overlooking a wide field’s park-like atmosphere with folks walking their dogs or playing fetch; just beyond, the backdrop of Lake Royer was a picturesque and convenient place for buyers and sellers alike to enjoy fare served by the Sons of the American Legion, Cascade, Post 239.

Their menu included eggs and breakfast meats and lunch items, such as hot dogs, steamers, chili, chicken salad, and nachos, as well as an assortment of snacks and beverages. I wanted to order a quart of their chili after enjoying a chili dog on the aforementioned Fort Ritchie Community Center patio, while watching folks toss a ball back and forth.

The beauty of the Sons of the American Legion’s participation in the Fort Ritchie Community Center Holiday Bazaar is their magnanimous financial contribution to helping folks in need on the mountain.

There were many vendors with treats available, including Pamela Wars of Sweet Blessings Cookies, a former elementary school teacher from Frederick, Maryland. Among her confections were peanut brittle, cake pops, and individually wrapped, exquisite Christmas cookies that might be edible works of art or double as Christmas tree ornaments.

Sometimes a craft show can be ho-hum for children, but all that changed when Santa visited to delight kids from 10:00 a.m.-noon.

Another attraction for kids was face-painting by artist Carolyn (Smith) Fogelsonger of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Carolyn, a member of Waynesboro (PA) Studio Art Club, works primarily in oils and acrylics and is known for her fine art paintings, which include an array of subjects from old buildings and other architecture to landscapes and nature.

She lived much of her life in Smithsburg, Maryland, finding ample inspiration for her works there. A print of a painting of the town of Smithsburg could be found at the presidential retreat at Camp David during the Bush administration.

Her works are available at Lotus Moon Gallery and on display at the Copper Kettle Restaurant, both located in Chambersburg. She has donated prints of her interpretation of the Civil War Battle of Monterey Pass, Blue Ridge Summit.

Some vendors carried handmade products, especially suited for children.

Mary Beth Chang of Sunberry Boutique in Hagerstown had an eye-catching array of handmade kids’ items that included a rainbow of tutus, hair bows, head bands, small purses, and pouches. Before we chatted about her products, she proffered an unsolicited shout-out to the Fort Ritchie Community Center staff, whom she described as ever helpful and the reason why she’s returned with her wares year after year.

She describes her products as an eclectic array, with varying fibers, which she enjoys changing up from time to time. There seems to be few limits to her knack with a sewing machine, let alone her imagination, recently introducing a line of children’s sun hats.

On the face of it, Mary Beth’s products seemed attuned to little boys and girls, but at some juncture during our conversation, I wondered aloud if I could get my dogs to wear tutus and hair bows—without diminishing their dignity, of course.

She said she occasionally dresses up her toy breed doggies and has designed, sewn, and dressed dogs included in their human’s weddings.

Craft shows are a dime a dozen. They pop up everywhere, but aren’t always worth attending, whether it’s because it’s a mob-scene, parking is a challenge, or the show doesn’t have anything one seeks.

Sometimes, though, one might take some time to attend a craft show and end up being pleasantly surprised by what is found there.

For myself? This show was close to home and convenient beyond compare.

But my heart was won by the delicious chili from the Sons of the American Legion Post 239, and the knowledge that they donate so much to our neighbors in need throughout the year.

They embody the meaning of “Christmas spirit.”

For further information regarding contact information for the vendors, call Fort Ritchie Community Center at 301-241-5085 or visit their website at www.thefrcc.org.

Photos by Chris O’Connor