PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Some of Aroostook County’s most creative and crafty children were on hand at Wintergreen Arts Center this past Saturday to share their hard work with the community.
The first annual children only Arts and Craft Fair featured 10 vendors selling everything from drawings and paintings to hair accessories, pet supplies and unicorn-themed toys.
Within the first 10 minutes of the fair, 10-year-old Raegan McCormick, of Presque Isle, had sold $26. She and her grandmother Lynn Ouellette greeted customers as they searched through the many handcrafted canvas posters, chalkboards and pencil holders that she had on display. All the proceeds from her sales went toward Relay for Life, a volunteer fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
“I like making and selling crafts because it’s really fun,” McCormick said.
Raegan McCormick, 10, made a variety of crafts to sell at Wintergreen Arts Center on April 28, including canvas posters, pencil holders and chalkboards. (Melissa Lizotte)
Allia Skaleski, 12, and her mother Staci Skaleski, sold colorful earrings, barrettes, hair clips and bracelets that the pre-teen made herself.
“I get to do something that I love and make money,” Allia Skaleski said, about why she participated in the craft fair.
Her mother noted that the children only theme of the fair made the experience a unique one for youngsters in Aroostook County.
“They don’t have a lot of opportunities to show their arts and crafts, so this is a great way to show other people what they love doing,” Staci Skaleski said.
The idea for the arts and craft fair began when Wintergreen Board Member Danielle Clark volunteered at Mapleton Elementary School’s Craft Day. She overhead two students say that they wished they could set up a craft fair just for children. Clark hopes that Wintergreen’s children only fair becomes an annual event.
“It’s great for kids to have a safe environment where they can learn organizational and social skills and make a little bit of money,” Clark said. “At some of the bigger craft fairs some of those things might get overlooked, but here kids get all the focus.”
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- Eleven-year-old Faith Herweh of Mapleton sells dog and cat toys, beds, pillows, treats and other goodies during Wintergreen’s craft fair for kids on April 28. Herweh said that she will donate part of the proceeds to the Central Aroostook Humane Society and that people who did not attend the craft fair could order her handmade pet supplies by emailing libertysdogtreats@gmail.com. (Melissa Lizotte)
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- Mia Dumont, 5, sold a series of acrylic, watercolor and colored pencil drawings of trees during the first annual children only arts and craft fair at Wintergreen Arts Center this past Saturday. Dumont said that she was excited to share her artwork with other people. (Melissa Lizotte)
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- Ten-year-old Katelyn Michaud of Caribou sold unicorn-themed bracelets, pillows, art, rainbow looms, craft kits and slime during a special children only arts and craft fair at Wintergreen Arts Center last Saturday. “I like making extra money and selling stuff that I’ve made,” said Michaud when asked about her favorite part of the craft fair. (Melissa Lizotte)
