The Citizen
An age-old tradition is coming back to Auburn this weekend. For more than three decades, the Holiday Craft Festival has been a staple in the community. For two days, Cayuga Community College transforms into a place with booths, music, a holiday play and other activities.
“It kicks off the holiday season for a lot of people,” said director of student activities Norman Lee. “We're hoping people come to enjoy the festive nature of the craft fair.”
Lee has been coordinating the 35-year-old festival since 1996, he said. During the 12 years, he worked to expand the event, which used to be held in Spartan Hall, to other areas of the college. The craft festival will have food booths featuring everything from hot dogs and pizza to Southern-fried wings and Caribbean Jerk chicken.
“It's just nice to have a variety,” Lee said.
The festival will also have acoustic music and a puppeteer who has been coming to the event almost as long as the craft fair has been going on, he said. “Snapshots,” a Meyer Bookbinding-published scrapbook of pictures from Auburn's past, will also be available for purchase.
At least one change will be noticeable this year. Usually, there is a donation area for the Make-A-Wish Foundation right by the doors, but this time around, Make-A-Wish will have its own booth, Lee said. The fundraiser has been part of the fair for five years and will be continuing indefinitely.
The fair is important because it's been going on for so long and has become a tradition for the college and for the community, Lee said.
“It's a nice, community holiday festival. I've noticed mothers who used to bring their children and now their children who have children bring them to the fair,” he said.
Lee anticipates 3,000 people will come through the college doors between Saturday and Sunday, he said. Proceeds from the fair go back into the programs, Lee said.
“One-hundred percent of that money that we bring in goes back to not just the college environment, but in terms of the programs and performing arts events that we bring in for the spring semester,” he said. “So it goes right back into the (events) we offer, not just for our students but for the community as well.”
For Lee, seeing people enjoying themselves is the most important part, he said.
“My favorite part is all the happy faces and seeing people together as families,” Lee said. “It's cold outside so people like to go to places like malls but now they can also come to the college and enjoy the environment that we created in a very festive nature.”
Gitana Mirochnik
253-5311 ext. 237
gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
If you go.
What: 35th annual Holiday Craft Festival
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7
Where: Cayuga Community College, 197 Franklin St., Auburn
Cost: Free
Info: Call 255-1743 ext. 2232
“It kicks off the holiday season for a lot of people,” said director of student activities Norman Lee. “We're hoping people come to enjoy the festive nature of the craft fair.”
Lee has been coordinating the 35-year-old festival since 1996, he said. During the 12 years, he worked to expand the event, which used to be held in Spartan Hall, to other areas of the college. The craft festival will have food booths featuring everything from hot dogs and pizza to Southern-fried wings and Caribbean Jerk chicken.
“It's just nice to have a variety,” Lee said.
The festival will also have acoustic music and a puppeteer who has been coming to the event almost as long as the craft fair has been going on, he said. “Snapshots,” a Meyer Bookbinding-published scrapbook of pictures from Auburn's past, will also be available for purchase.
At least one change will be noticeable this year. Usually, there is a donation area for the Make-A-Wish Foundation right by the doors, but this time around, Make-A-Wish will have its own booth, Lee said. The fundraiser has been part of the fair for five years and will be continuing indefinitely.
The fair is important because it's been going on for so long and has become a tradition for the college and for the community, Lee said.
“It's a nice, community holiday festival. I've noticed mothers who used to bring their children and now their children who have children bring them to the fair,” he said.
Lee anticipates 3,000 people will come through the college doors between Saturday and Sunday, he said. Proceeds from the fair go back into the programs, Lee said.
“One-hundred percent of that money that we bring in goes back to not just the college environment, but in terms of the programs and performing arts events that we bring in for the spring semester,” he said. “So it goes right back into the (events) we offer, not just for our students but for the community as well.”
For Lee, seeing people enjoying themselves is the most important part, he said.
“My favorite part is all the happy faces and seeing people together as families,” Lee said. “It's cold outside so people like to go to places like malls but now they can also come to the college and enjoy the environment that we created in a very festive nature.”
Gitana Mirochnik
253-5311 ext. 237
gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
If you go.
What: 35th annual Holiday Craft Festival
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7
Where: Cayuga Community College, 197 Franklin St., Auburn
Cost: Free
Info: Call 255-1743 ext. 2232
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