The faint smell of cinnamon drifts through the air. Crafting glitter twinkles under the lights. The chatter of hundreds of people fills the room.
On Nov. 23, Leggee Elementary School held their 14th annual Leggee Craft fair. This event was held at Huntley High School and ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This popular event brings in hundreds of vendors and small businesses from all around the Chicagoland area to sell mostly holiday-themed homemade items.
There was also a raffle, a bake sale, and performances by the World School of Irish Dance.
One small business featured was M.J. Jewelry and Crafts, run by Mary Jo Erbes. She has been participating in this event for 12 years. This booth dazzled with homemade necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and hand-knit hats for event-goers to purchase.
“I just love doing little crafts all the time here,” Erbes said.
Another booth run by Marie Payne featured hundreds of hand-painted ornaments decorated with anything, from snowmen to popular Chicago sports teams. She has been selling ornaments at the Leggee Craft Fair since it first began.
“[People] enjoy looking at things and art they haven’t bought before,” Payne said.
This whole show is run by the president of the Leggee PTA: Jamie Steere. This is her second year organizing this event.
“We get some of the members of the community that do not normally come to school events. . . this turnout is amazing,” Steere said.
The Leggee Craft fair not only provides small businesses with an opportunity to share their work, but it also goes good for the community.
At the entrance, food and monetary donations were collected for the Grafton Food Pantry. Last year’s fair gave five carloads of goods to the pantry and over $1,000. This year’s contributions looked promising.
Overall, the annual Leggee Craft Fair is an excellent way for the community to come together over seasonal crafts and bond with one another.
