With the holidays quickly approaching, many students are scrambling to find the perfect gift.
The Union Activities Board’s Holiday Arts and Crafts Show just might be the place to find the presents for friends and family - or even something nice for yourself.
“I would say anybody would be able to afford something here,” said Erecenia Friday, Union Activities Board office manager and a communication junior. “It depends on what the vendor thinks their art and craft is worth, but there is something here for everyone.”
The crafts show will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m Sunday at the Union.
The show’s 254 booths will feature mostly holiday arts and crafts, but there will also be several nonholiday items for sale. The items will range from jewelry to wood art to dolls, handbags, massage oils and artwork, Friday said.
“It’s just a lot of everything,” she said. “The items are basically anything anybody could make.”
Sarah Marks, Union Activities Board chairperson, said the weekend gala will have a large number of booths with a variety of crafters.
“The community knows it’s a traditional show,” the communication junior said. “It’s a large event and we always draw a lot of people.”
The event, now in its 37th year, usually attracts about 55,000 people, officials say. And many who attend do so year after year.
“The good thing is that people who have been here before can come through and see vendors that were here before as well as new things and really be able to enjoy it,” Friday said.
Students may enjoy the show because of the inexpensive items they can pick up, Marks said.
“Students might like it because there are a lot of things that they can get that are cheaper here,” she said. “A lot of students like the candles, and we always have a couple of candle booths.”
The activities board requires a booth fee for each vendor, but all the profits made during the event will be given back to the vendors.
“It’s a really fun event,” Marks said. “And it’s a good way to get into the holiday spirit.”
