Craft and gift show on new day

The long-running Christmas Boutique Craft and Gift Show at the Jamestown Civic Center is set to jump start holiday spirit a week earlier this year. It’s set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Civic Center Manager Pam Fosse said for most of the 20-plus years the show has been held in Jamestown, it’s been the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It’s always followed the two-day Bismarck craft show.

“The crafters and vendors come here after Bismarck,” she said. “The Bismarck show is scheduled for Friday and Saturday this year, so we backed ours up a week.”

Already more than 100 spots have been claimed for this year’s boutique and craft show. Fosse said there’s room for 152 vendors and home-based businesses.

“The arena is full and at this point we’re working on filling the upper concourses,” she said.

Home-based businesses are a relatively new addition to the show, Fosse said, but are becoming increasingly popular. Such businesses include Scentsy, Tastefully Simple, Creative Memories and Avon.

“They qualify as gift choices,” she said. “And we still have plenty of general crafters as well.”

The show usually draws around 2,000 gift seekers for the $2 admission charge, which is used for advertising. In the past, those attending would often bring Thanksgiving guests, Fosse said. Because of the date change that won’t happen this year.

“But people who would normally go out of town for the Thanksgiving weekend will be able to come this year,” she said.

Many of the crafters return year after year. It’s their business, Fosse said, and they’ll travel from show to show throughout the region. She said the Bismarck show is a popular one for crafters and Jamestown benefits from that popularity with a larger number of crafters. Those who are regulars here and in Bismarck also tell any new crafters there about Jamestown’s show.

“We’ll be inundated with calls from them to get a booth here,” she said. “It’s really beneficial for vendors to follow Bismarck with a stop here. And we’ll accept vendors as long as we have space — even if they arrive Sunday morning.”

Nor do people attending the Jamestown show suffer from a lack of choice in goods. Fosse said vendors are always well-stocked for any show they do. Plus, each year the crafters add to their offerings.

“Vendors are good about updating their inventory,” she said. “There’s always a variety and new products. Every year, there’s always something new, something we’ve not seen in the past.”

Craft items include winter and holiday floral decor, woodworking, jewelry, candles and home decor. There are also antiques, quilts, doll clothes and metal art to name just some of the variety.

And of course, there’s food and drink available. As well as concessions, food vendors will be on hand selling such items as kuchen, kettle corn and dipsticks.

Added to that, there will be music. Fosse said Ecuadorian Bolivar Burga, who now lives in Minnesota, will play his native wooden flute throughout the day. He’ll be selling CDs performed by his musical group Atahualpa. He’ll also be selling clothing made of alpaca wool.

Fosse said she sees the show as a kick-off to the holidays.

“It gets the holiday season started,” she said. “Where else can you go and spend $2 to enjoy the afternoon shopping and browsing in comfort?”

The Christmas Boutique Craft and Gift Show Sunday will be followed by the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the Civic and the Holiday Dazzle Parade at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 26.

Sun reporter Toni Pirkl can be reached at (701) 952-8453 or by e-mail at tonip@jamestownsun.com

Tags: other events, diversions