St. Joseph Church in Herndon celebrated its 17th annual craft fair Oct. 28. Sponsored by the St. Joseph Ladies Society, the fair is held on the last Saturday of October.
The St. Joseph craft fair began in 2007 after the society recognized a need to serve children in the Herndon area who did not have access to proper nutrition and food on the weekends. Former president Lisa Kimpflen began coordinated the first annual craft fair to raise funds for the Backpack Lunch Program at Dranesville Elementary School in Herndon.
Today, volunteer Rosann Fronczak leads the program, which involves shopping, packing and delivering 100 meals to students. Society members volunteer for each of these responsibilities. Mary Kirby, a parishioner and staff member of St. Joseph, was one of the original volunteers and is one of the craft fair coordinators, along with Gloria Sertzen and Loretta Rood. The three ladies have worked together the past two years and have had great success.
The annual craft fair is a daylong event that celebrates community and the sharing of one’s gifts. The society says that every vendor who participates has a unique gift from God, through sharing their craftsmanship with others. In addition to the homemade crafts, vendors and local businesses sponsor a raffle. Children enjoy face painting and a pumpkin decorating contest, with a prize awarded to the pumpkin with the most votes.
The St. Joseph Ladies Society is thankful to all who have volunteered and helped to make this fundraiser a success. They are grateful for Franciscan Father Tom Bourque, pastor, for his support throughout the years. They extend thanks to all the crafters who continue to participate and invite new crafters to join.
“We do a lot of vendor shows and this is our favorite. We signed up early this year and marked this on our calendar. Love the organizers!” said vendor Hien Aceron.
