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Gifts You'll Love (To Buy and Receive)
New England's craft fairs make holiday shopping fun while supporting the region's richly talented artisans.
by Amy Traverso
The sidewalks of Harvard Square are bustling on this overcast early-December day. Frigid temperatures have everyone moving at a fast clip, but the looming deadline of Christmas Day has ramped up the activity. A few strains of "Silver Bells" trickle weakly out of a dress shop, but they're lost amid the sounds of car engines gunning to outrace pedestrians at the crosswalks.
From across the street comes a warmer rhythm: the looping chorus of the popular Afro-Cuban song "Candela." It beckons shoppers over to First Parish Cambridge, the Unitarian Universalist flagship where Ralph Waldo Emerson once lectured, and where today a handful of tents in the courtyard, a "Holiday Fair" sign, and an open door to the basement now promise shelter and a hope of festive spirit.
Inside: an underground bazaar, a riot of Indian textiles, painted silk, fused glass, and pottery, among some 40 stalls. There are stunning Japanese-inspired woodblock prints by Matt Brown, Arts & Crafts-style tiles by Lynne and Richie Bittner, fiesta-colored ceramics by James Guggina, and delicate tin lanterns by Lennie Kaumzha.
Shoppers mill around, stopping to contemplate a vase or a necklace, asking "Where are the beads from?" or "Can you wash wooden bowls with soap?" The artisans are as patient and watchful as their days are long: first, the early-morning set-up and then eight or nine hours of selling on each of the 13 festival days through Christmas Eve. But they're glad to be here: 2011 marks this juried fair's 26th year, an established market with a returning cast.
"I look forward to this show," says Gianna Bird, whose Silver Moon Designs booth displays jewelry inspired by flowers, beach stones, and trees. "We see the same people every year and catch up. In five or ten minutes we have the whole year recapped." Now in her seventh year with the fair, Bird is a relative newbie; co-founders Leslie Gray, Michael Jordan, and Connie Barbour have been here since the start and hold prime real estate by the entrance. The energy here is good, the customers steady.
True to its Unitarian digs, the fair doesn't play favorites with Christmas, opting instead for a menu of world music, twinkling lights, and nondenominational cheer. But it certainly feels more festive than the street scene above. Friends meet, a cup of mulled cider is an inexpensive treat, and in this gentler hub of holiday commerce, here's proof that Harvard Square's hippie heart still beats strongly.
This year's Harvard Square Holiday Craft Fair is set for December 3-4, 9-11, 16-18, and 20-24. First Parish Cambridge, 3 Church St., Cambridge, MA. harvardsquareholidayfair.com
New England Craft Fairs
Connecticut
November 12-13: Fine American Craftsman Show
A national roster of nearly 60 artisans converge for the 26th year of this juried event. Emphasizing high-quality traditional items--tableware from ASL Pewter, stenciled floorcloths from Michele Hollick--rather than contemporary crafts, though you'll also find gorgeous modern wares.
Wilton High School Field House, 395 Danbury Road, Wilton. 845-876-0616; wiltoncraftsmanshow.com
November 19-20: CraftWestport
Now in its 36th year, this annual juried crafts bonanza features more than 160 metal, fiber, wood, paper, and clay artisans, with all admissions net profits to benefit local charities. The contemporary jewelry, by artists such as Nikki Bates, Rina Young, and Tami Rodrig, is especially good.
Staples High School, 70 North Ave., Westport. 800-649-0279, 845-331-7900; wywl.com/CAF/CAF.html, artrider.com/WPT11.html
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