August 18, 2025

Dear Friends,

It is with truly heavy hearts that the Christmas in Harrison Board of Directors shares some very difficult news. After 38 wonderful years, we regret to announce that the Craft & Vendor Fair will not be held this December. This was not a decision made lightly. We know how meaningful this event has been to our community, and especially to you—our dedicated crafters and vendors, some of whom have been with us since the very beginning. Please know that this decision was only made after much discussion, and with deep sadness.

As outlined in our 2024 Annual Report, a number of challenges brought us to this point:

• We saw a decrease in registrations last year after another local fair was scheduled on the same day. This fair will occur on the same day again this year. 

• The only available space we have now is Harrison Elementary School, which requires additional costs for rental, insurance, and trolley service. In addition, crafters have also expressed wanting to move back into town versus continuing at the school. 

• The set-up, take-down, and day-of operations require more volunteers than all other portions of our event combined—at a time when volunteer participation has declined significantly.

• On top of this, managing registrations, payments, and vendor communications prior to the event demands significant time and energy from our small Board of Directors, when we are also trying to pull together so many other activities.

We explored alternatives, including the possibility of hosting the fair at the Lion’s Den. Unfortunately, that space can only accommodate 3–4 vendors, and we felt it would be unfair to offer so few spots given the many wonderful vendors who make this fair so special. For us, we do not see this as an ending, but rather a pause. We remain hopeful that in the future, we will find a new space or approach that allows us to continue this cherished part of the Christmas in Harrison tradition.

Please know how deeply grateful we are for your years of support, creativity, and commitment to making the fair such a joyful part of our community celebration. We share in your disappointment, and we will continue working hard to keep the spirit of Christmas in Harrison alive in many other ways.

With heartfelt thanks and sadness,

The Christmas in Harrison Board of Directors

PO Box 21, Harrison, ME 04040

christmasinharrison.org