City's biggest craft fair kicks off holiday season

For many of the hundreds of shoppers at Saturday's Carson High Holiday Craft Fair, it was a way to ramp up for the Christmas season.

"We come every single year," said Carson City's Heather Fox. "It's our first Christmas shopping of the year, and we look for decorations and ideas and unique gifts for friends."

Fox said it is a family affair for her, as she was shopping with her mother, as well as her 7-year-old daughter Macie and 17-year-old son Michael.

"We definitely get into the Christmas spirit at this fair," she said.

Gail Johnson and her husband Dave of Carson City were found beaming at their three grandchildren who were posing for photos with Santa.

"This fair is a kickoff to Christmas for us," she said. "I usually go for the pot holders because I use them all the time and I give them as gifts. I just like to see all the fun stuff they have here every year."

The event, now in its 17th year, is the city's biggest craft fair, drawing 120 vendors this year.

John Montgomery and Alberta Carter of Reno offered a huge assortment of semi-precious gemstone jewelry at their booth, which was packed with shoppers.

"She does the beading and cabochons. I do some cabochons and the silver work," Montgomery said.

He said he and Carter have been friends for 30 years. Before they both lost their spouses, the two couples did everything together.

"We did craft shows, went camping and rockhounding together," he said.

Both are members of the Reno Gem and Mineral Society, and he describes their jewelry business as "a hobby gone amuck."

One of the new vendors this year was Michelle O'Connell of Carson City with her Casting Memories, featuring 3D castings of hands and feet from infants to senior citizens.

"I had my son's hands cast in Las Vegas when he was 7 weeks old, but when I moved up here, I couldn't find anyone who was doing it, so I decided to do it myself," O'Connell said.

"I can do castings for hands from newborn to 100 years old," she said. "Newborns are cute because of all the little folds of skin, and older hands have so much character."

Cathy Barbie, fair coordinator, said all the proceeds from vendor booth rentals go to Carson High School student projects, and it usually amounts to $10,000 to $15,000, she said.

Barbie, an Eagle Valley Middle School social studies teacher, said this was her eighth year coordinating the fair and she also had a booth. Her husband teaches at CHS, and her son graduated from there three years ago. She called the fair kind of a family tradition for them.

Participants who attended the fair were charged a reduced entry fee if they brought in a canned food item.

"We usually end up with 10-15 barrels of food for FISH (Friends In Service Helping) every year," Barbie said.