Kiwanis Club takes over Osburn Craft Fair

OSBURN –– The 41st Annual Osburn Craft Fair is just around the corner and there are still a few spaces open for vendors.

The event has swapped hands just a few times over the years, but this year there will be another changing of the guard now that the event is being run by the Kiwanis Club of the Silver Valley.

Bridget Hojem, the president of the local Kiwanis Club, is excited for her group to have the opportunity to be a part of such a popular and longstanding Silver Valley event.

Previous organizer Ashlee Myles had been running the fair on her own for the past six years and was determined to make sure that it endured – even at the cost of her own time and money.

“Ashlee is a good friend of mine and she wanted an organization that she trusted to take it over,” Hojem said. “I had helped her out last year with the craft fair, so it made sense to have an organization that I am a part of to take it on.”

Giving up something was so close to her own heart was not easy for Myles, but she trusts that she made the right decision in Hojem and the Kiwanis.

“The Osburn Craft Fair has been dear to my heart since I was a young girl,” Myles said. “When the committee decided to let it dissolve after 2015 I knew I had to do something. I feel honored to have been able to carry on this tradition for our community as well as the small businesses of the surrounding areas. The Kiwanis Club helps the youth of the Silver Valley in so many ways it’s a win/win for everyone! I want to thank Bridget for making the transition so easy and all of the wonderful vendors I had the pleasure of working with the past several years. I am so grateful this event is in good hands for years to come.”

The Kiwanians are using the craft fair as a mechanism to generate funds for the Silver Valley youth – through different donations and other fundraising opportunities.

Any entrepreneurial children who would like to be vendors at the fair are not only encouraged but their registration fees will also be waived.

The craft fair has operated almost an unofficial welcome to the holiday season in the Silver Valley – thousands of people make their way to Silver Hills Elementary School with the hopes of checking off their Christmas gift lists while shopping locally.

“We have so many different crafts,” Hojem said. “There is a really big variety this year.”

She’s not just saying that either – so far this year the fair has vendors selling sewn items, wood items, tumblers, crochet items, resin items, air fresheners, 3D Maps, dog collars, candles, clothing, jewelry, kettle corn, lemonade, cookies, sam, bread, jerky, and beef sticks. There will also be several local non-profit groups on-site to provide attendees with potentially valuable information. One of the few modifications being made to fair will be the allowance of flea-market style vendors.

“Kiwanis knew this was an amazing opportunity because the event is already so established within the community,” Hojem said. “We are always looking for more ways to raise money for the kids of the Silver Valley so we knew we should take it on – especially since we didn’t have to start from nothing. I think several people look forward to this event each year and it’s important that it keeps going.”

The Wallace High School Cheerleaders are one of the youth organizations benefitting from the fair and will be on hand to help the vendors with the setup and tear down of their booths.

There will also be a special booth for kids to hang out at and decorate Christmas ornaments.

Currently, there are almost 60 vendors registered with room for several more. Registration forms can be found on the Osburn Arts & Crafts Show Facebook page.

The 41st Annual Osburn Craft Fair will be held on November 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and November 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Silver Hills Elementary School.