CARIBOU, Maine — After a smaller scale return in 2021, Caribou’s famous arts and crafts fair will be back in full force next weekend.
On Oct. 15 and 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 137 vendors will set up in the Caribou High School gymnasium. This year’s event marks the 48th annual Caribou Arts & Crafts Fair and the first large-scale version since 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Caribou’s event has long been one of the most anticipated arts and crafts fairs, drawing thousands of visitors and hundreds of vendors from throughout Aroostook. In 2019, 2,000 people attended the 47th consecutive fair, which featured 107 vendors selling everything from honey products to handmade throw pillows.
Though the fair returned in 2021, the location changed to the Caribou Wellness & Recreation Center, which could only accommodate 80 vendors.
With the pandemic no longer as big a national public health concern, the fair’s organizers felt that it was once again safe to return to the CHS gym.
“We are at capacity this year with 137 vendors,” said Gary Marquis, Caribou Parks & Recreation superintendent. “At some point, people want to go back to normal, so we feel that it’s time.”
Visitors to this year’s craft fair can expect an even greater variety of handmade items, including baked goods, wooden crafts, porch signs and Christmas decorations. The fair has traditionally been one of Caribou’s kickoff events for the holiday shopping season.
City employees have been involved with planning the fair since 2014, Marquis said. For weeks, he and staff have only heard positive comments on the fair’s return.
“Everyone is excited about the fair and it will be a great success,” Marquis said.
