AUBURN -- While moms and dads shopped for holiday treasures, children took a break with a puppet show and parade at the 35th annual Holiday Craft Festival Saturday.

With the smell of cotton candy and fried food in the air, Cayuga Community College had a carnival-like atmosphere. Families enjoyed quality time together as they perused various gift ideas like knitted scarves and hats or hand-painted china and hand-carved wooden art.

This was the first year Marcy Weed, of Auburn, attended the craft festival, she said. She heard about the event from a vendor at a previous craft fair.

"I thought it would be a nice way to get my daughter out for the day and do a little Christmas shopping," she said.

But the annual craft festival attracts newcomers as well as familiar faces.

Laura Sullivan has been coming to the fair for the past four to five years, she said.

"It's sort of traditional at this point," she said.

Her husband, Collin, has been at the event for the past two years and for the first time, they brought their daughter, Jane, 3.

Laura's favorite part is getting out of the house with her family, she said.

For Collin, who works at Options for Independence, it is important that the event is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.

"I'm always glad that this is such an accessible event. You see people with disabilities able to shop at all the booths," he said. "This is really set up to be an inclusive event, which always makes us very happy."

The Sullivan's bought a variety of things, but Collin would not divulge details as many of the items contained surprises for his wife and daughter.

The puppeteer who entertains children during the two days of the craft fair is as much a part of the fair as the Holiday Craft Festival is a tradition within the Auburn community.

Stephen Baird has been coming to the fair for 34 of the 35 years. The craft festival used to be more of a folk festival and Baird is the "remnants of the folk festival component," he said.

"The events changed ... When it first started, there were concerts on Friday night and they had instrument workshops and music workshops," Baird said. "There was always a craft fair and they had people that used to exhibit wool dyeing and spinning and other things. So, it was a very different event when it first started."

Baird brings a variety of instruments with him every year, including the hammered dulcimer and hand-carved wooden limberjacks -- a percussion instrument in the form of a wooden puppet.

"The parades are different and the kids, that's what makes it fun for me, each time the kids come and bring their enthusiasm and joy of celebration," Baird said.

Patti Rossbach, of Scipio Center, stood off to the side as Baird entertained her grandchildren in Spartan Hall. Vendors were busy peddling their goods but Rossbach's grandchildren were too busy playing musical instruments and singing along with Baird to notice.

"This is my first year but it will not be my last. It's immense, I had no idea it was so extensive," she said.

Saturday's fair brought in nearly 200 vendors and more than 1,000 people. At least 3,000 people are expected to attend between Saturday and Sunday.

Rossbach brought her grandchildren because her daughter-in-law was running a craft booth for the first time this year, she said. Her favorite part about the festival is the activities for the children and being able to see old-time friends.

"I am thrilled with what they have here for the children when moms are busy," she said. "And it's wonderful running into people I haven't seen for 20 years."