So, how do you get your hands on some of these awesome fair trade items in time to get them wrapped and dished out this holiday season? I'm going to break down our events by location so you only have to sift through the ones in your area. ALSO, you will be able to purchase items from our website starting Monday, November 22nd. There will be a big link on the front page of our website sometime next week so that you can do your holiday shopping from your computer screen.
Without further delay, here are the events that PHPG will be attending and hosting from now until the New Year:
Virginia Events
- The 3rd Annual PVMS Craft Fair - This event is happening on the Southside of Richmond on Saturday, November 20th from 7am to 3pm. There will be lots of local and international vendors, as well as door prizes every half hour and tons of great food.
- Santa's Attic Craft Fair - This event is hosted by the City of Hampton, and it features live music, food, local vendors, and us! It's a two-day ordeal. Festivities run from 11am to 7pm on Thursday, December 2nd and 9am to 3pm on Friday, December 3rd.
- Fair Trade Festival - This two-day event takes place in Norfolk, Virginia from 9am to 10pm on Saturday, December 4th and from 12pm to 6pm on Sunday, December 5th. There will be tons of musical acts and local/fair trade vendors at the event. You can check out an article on last years event here.
- Alternative Christmas Fair - This event is hosted by the First Presbyterian Church of Arlington. It runs from 9:30am to 1pm on Sunday, December 5th. This event will host the likes of Heifer International, Ten Thousand Villages, and many other fair trade vendors. This is our only event in Northern Virginia, so be sure to come check it out if you're in the area!
- 2nd Annual NYE Charity Benefit Bash at Baja Bean - This doesn't really fall under the fair trade category, but it is our biggest fundraiser of the year. At this event alone, we expect to raise over $6,000 for our projects. Last year we were one of the biggest New Years parties in Richmond, and we sold out all 300 spots. Make sure you get your ticket today so you don't miss out on the fun. We have a Facebook event set up so you can easily invite your friends, and you can go to our event page to get your name on the list. The event will last from 9pm to 2am on New Years Eve.
Vermont Events
- The Holiday Showcase and Craft Fair - This event is hosted by BFA-Fairfax and will take place from 7am to 3pm on Saturday, November 20th. The event will include several local vendors and international organizations.
- The Vermont International Festival - This three-day festival is being hosted at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. It will feature over 100 vendors and performers from around the world. It runs from 5pm to 8pm on Friday, December 3rd, 10am to 6pm on the 4th, and 10am to 5pm on the 5th. Admission covers the entire weekend, and the prices are $6 for adults, $3 for children (6-12) & seniors, Free for 6 & under, and $15 for a family pass.
- Alternative Giving Fair - This event is hosted by Ascension Lutheran in South Burlington. There will be several alternative gift vendors at the event. It's going on Sunday, December 5th, and the time is still to be determined. Make sure to check out our Facebook page sometime next week for the details.
In addition to attending these events and supporting the artisans that we work with, we could also really use a few hands at each of these events. If you're interested in volunteering a few hours of your time to help out, we'd love to have you. You can sign up to say you're coming and/or volunteering at the corresponding event pages on Facebook. Thanks for taking the time to read this holiday guide. If you have any questions, you can always feel free to shoot me an email at alex@peoplehelpingpeopleglobal.org.
We hope to see you out at some of the events! Take care.
Alex
