Annual liberty craft fair provides for students and teachers

By Thomas South

The Liberty Craft Fair is an annual event for the community. The fair on Nov. 9 included woodworking, jewelry, toys, health items, and food from the bake sale. 

The Parents at Liberty also employ student volunteers to set up. “We rely on students to help us get the school ready for the vendors on Friday afternoon, and to help early Saturday morning as the vendors come get their booths ready,” said the parents at Liberty.

Students who volunteer will also be helping at the end of the fair to assist vendors in taking down and collecting their items and booths. Student groups and clubs can also volunteer as a team.

The fair is a fundraiser event to raise money for the teachers at our school. The Parents at Liberty said “funds are distributed to the teachers throughout the teacher grants that teachers can apply for in the spring.” The grants are called “Archimedes Grants” and can be used by teachers on things that have long term applications and enhance the student experience at Liberty.

The amount raised is largely dependent on the number of vendors attending, as each vendor is charged $100. They are expecting upwards of 120 vendors and 3,500 attendees this year, so roughly $12,000 raised by the event. 

Some funds also go towards after-prom, which is also organized by parents at Liberty. The funds for teachers are distributed through various grants come spring. Teachers can apply for these to access the funds.

The fair isn’t just booths selling things, it includes games, a concession stand and bake sale. The food sales benefit student groups instead of the grants. Every half hour there is a free raffle that can win you a spending spree.

The craft fair is free to attend and students are encouraged to bring their families to support the school. The fair is festive and a great way to get into the holiday spirit. The fair claims to be one of the oldest and largest holiday fairs in the area. 

Those who are interested in having a vendor booth next year have to apply and pay the $100 fee. The vendors are judged by a jury before being accepted.