Craft show, nativities among Winterfest events

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LUVERNE — ‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, and the Winterfest craft fair at Luverne Elementary School on Saturday provided ample opportunity. Some vendors reported sales of popular gift items, while a few shoppers opted to treat themselves.

“I’m trying to get inspired to buy Christmas presents,” laughed Naidine Aanenson of Luverne, a regular show attendee. “I saw lots of pretty things.”

At the largest-ever show, items were quite varied, from cookies to Christmas decorations to wood carvings to kitchen towels.

At one of the 90-plus booths, members of two Luverne Girl Scout Troops sold plenty of handmade holiday cards, one of several offerings they crafted for the show.

“We’re raising money for camp this summer,” explained leader Brandi Luke, while the girls sang “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” behind her. “We’re incorporating patch learning like measuring and what it takes to do business and what things cost, money, baking.”

“I have a little bit of everything,” said vendor Millie Steece of Luverne. “I’ve sold quite a lot of the towels and the little things for stocking stuffers,” including decorated paper clips that hold photos or recipes.

“They like the small items that they can tuck into a card or do for secret Santa,” added Steece’s business partner Pat Krier of Sioux Falls, S.D.

Warren Arends of Arends Agates in Rock Rapids, Iowa, was one of many vendors selling jewelry. His most popular items? “This show it’s been more unique, handmade stuff,” he said.

The Luverne Council of Catholic Women sold plates of goodies to benefit their charitable causes, “shelters for children, missionary work, sending the high school kids to retreats for church,” detailed Joan Langford.

In the school commons, children had the chance to create Christmas crafts and shop for inexpensive surprise gifts for their children, both events sponsored by the Rock County 4-H.

“We walked around and we ate and bought cookies. I did buy something for my mom,” said Luverne resident Brook Birdsey as son Kameron Keene complete ornaments of Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus at the 4-H table. “It’s been great. We’re going to the parade (later) and going to get our Christmas tree in a few minutes.

Downtown, the Southwest Minnesota Habitat for Humanity hosted a display of 50 nativity sets in the Tuscan Room.

The nativities were of all shapes, sizes and materials, from nearly life-sized ceramic sets to small wooden or clay sets.

“We had to stop collecting them because this was all the room we had,” said Habitat board member Mary Lou Mulligan. She explained one particularly intricate set, owned by Dorothy Ricebill of Luverne to a group of visitors. “When it’s plugged in it has a water fall,” she said, adding that sets from several countries —- including Peru, Columbia, Tanzania and Bethlehem —- were displayed. Among the more unique were an Alaskan nativity with an igloo “stable” and a nativity in which all the characters were carrot-nosed snowmen.

Tags: craft show, news, luverne, winterfest, shopping, christmas