[caption id="attachment_797" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="https://mountainmedianews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2013/08/Marsha-Geiger-and-Hilda-Halstead.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-797" alt="Marsha Geiger (left) and Hilda Halstead" src="https://mountainmedianews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2013/08/Marsha-Geiger-and-Hilda-Halstead-150x120.jpg" width="150" height="120" /></a> Marsha Geiger (left) and Hilda Halstead[/caption] On Apr. 6, 2011, CNN reported that the U.S. craft and hobby industry is at $29 billion a year with about 56 percent of U.S. households crafting at least once a year. The “cool” town of Lewisburg has been a part of this much desired business venture for over 30 years. The 33rd annual Art and Craft Show is scheduled to be held in the West Virginia Building at the State Fair Event Center on Oct. 11-13. This event has nearly 100 vendors who produce handcrafted goods for the community and surrounding area. This event not only allows some of the 56 percent of U.S. households to fulfill their dream to be crafters, but also includes a sense of fun and community. The event, which is the same weekend as Lewisburg’s Taste of Our Town (TOOT), draws both local and out of area crafters and visitors who are passionate about arts and crafts. The show is well known for great hospitality for both vendors and shoppers. One vender commented that this is “one of the best shows I’ve attended. People are so friendly and welcoming.” The event has no entry fee requirement, but does request optional admission donations to local charitable organizations. Monetary donations or non-perishable food items collected for 2013 will directly benefit the Lewisburg-Fairlea Food Locker, which is housed at Old Stone Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg. Proceeds from the event also benefit the community in the form of donations to the Edgewood Presbyterian Church Scholarship Fund, the Edgewood Growth & Improvement Fund, and the Lewisburg-Fairlea Food Locker. The handcrafted items which are available for purchase at this event vary from apple butter and baked goods to jewelry, soaps, candles, quilted items, wreaths, hair bows, woodworking, paintings, and much, much more. There is indeed something for everyone on your Christmas list to be found at this art and craft show. The merchants have a vast array of talents and methods of working which vary from large craft businesses to families who dabble at their talent, and people who work out of their homes. The Lewisburg area is the place to be the second weekend in October of 2013. Plan a trip to the State Fair Event Center for the Art and Craft Show, as well as a visit to TOOT in downtown Lewisburg.
