Some folks in this community call it the kickoff to the Christmas holiday season.
You’ll find no argument here.
The 55th Holly Day Fair, the largest holiday gift and craft show in eastern North Carolina, is scheduled this Thursday through Sunday at the Crown Expo Center.
“We are excited for this year's show,” says Juelle McDonald, chairwoman of this year’s fair, which is sponsored by the Junior League of Fayetteville. “The theme for this year's show is ‘Making Spirits Bright.’ We are thrilled to be able to continue this tradition in our community.”
The fair is a one-stop holiday shopping extravaganza. If you can’t find a holiday gift here, some shoppers say, you can’t find a holiday gift anywhere. You’ll find everything from clothing, jewelry, handmade crafts, holiday decorations and, yes, children’s toys.
“We are excited that some of our returning vendors are back and happy to welcome new vendors as well,” McDonald says. “We have a new vendor, Must Draw Dogs, that does 100% freehand art of animal portraits.”
What began as a small community holiday crafts show at St. John’s Episcopal Church downtown has grown into a Fayetteville tradition. The fair draws an average of about 22,000 each year, according to the Junior League. And the shoppers are not just from the community. They come from cities and communities from all over and as far away as Virginia and South Carolina.
Something for everybody
You may have heard the old adage, “Shop ’til you drop.”
It’s true.
Some shoppers spend all day and into the night at the Holly Day Fair. You’ll find vendors everywhere. And when the shopping becomes too much, you can always find plenty of food of all kinds in the food court. So help me, there’s something for everybody at the Holly Day Fair, and you’ll find plenty of unique gifts, too, that will pique your curiosity.
It’s exciting for the Junior League women, and it is exciting for shoppers and the community. And all of it will put you in the spirit of the season.
Epilogue
“We hope that it will be our largest year yet,” McDonald says. “We hope to see over 20,000 people during the four-day period. We hope that this show signifies the kickoff of the holiday season for our community. We hope that it brings joy and makes spirits bright for our local community and surrounding communities.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
