The holiday season wasn’t much on anyone’s mind when Katie Cink started planning for the second ever FFA craft fair…way back in mid-July.
Cink’s five months of hard work culminated on Saturday in the new gym with some 30 vendors from around Minnesota offering home-made items that included anything from Christmas ornaments and home décor to clothing and hats, soaps, scents, sweets, preserves and even lip balm.
“It’s been a lot of prep, but I had a lot of help,” said the senior. “At times it was a lot of stress getting everything organized, but it was worth it to see everybody here.”
Breakfast and lunch concessions were served in the commons, Santa paid a visit, and the Holiday Jazz band played a set in a corner of the gym.
Besides the FFA’s own booth and a booth by the school's Ag Department, vendors included Kelly Blair Design, Country Originals, Kids-So-Soft LLC, Sharon-Norwex Independent Consultant, Scenstry, Agnes Kotek-Hand Woven Rugs, Thirty-One Gifts, Karen Morley, Cotton Thread Co., KJO’s Crochet, Cleveland She Shed, Ideal Quilts, C&L Treasures, Avon Rep, Fonseca Family Foods, Weavers Logic, Color Street, B& S Crafty Shack, Imagination Overload, Mary Kay, Heavenly Western, Spare Time Baker, Mockumental Designs, Joy’s Crafty Creations, Diana Pasbrig, Corky Beihn, Kathy Dauk, Vossen Custom Creation and Cleveland Booster Club.
Above: Carter Kern shows off his home-made lip balm to teacher Joel Boehlke. At right is fair organizer Katie Cink. She was part of the group that put together the flowers. Proceeds from the day will fund the club's activities, trips and student-led projects.
Crochet and key chains.
The Ag Department booth featured cookie making kits. Behind the table are, from L-R, Mollie Bowman, Samantha Baker and Allison Cink.
Sharon Cink’s booth had Christmas decorations and jelly. She is the grandmother of Katie Cink.
Becky Michels offered Christmas cards, goat milk soap and lotions in several flavors.
Seventh graders Luci Blaschko and Kayla Hoffmann smell test Becky Michels' hand lotions.
Carter Kern makes a sale in the FFA booth. At left is Evelyn Keltgen. At right is Serena Remiger. In back is FFA advisor Kelly Susa.
Beth Schmoll and Melissa Marks displayed Clipper gear in the Booster Club booth.
The She Shed booth.
Mollie Bowman in the Ag Department booth showed off cutting boards made by the school’s woodworking class.
Holiday Jazz member Vivian Hilfer on the keyboard.
Erik Hermanson’s Holiday Jazz put the crowd in the Christmas spirit.