Holiday Festival of the Arts Coming this Saturday

Something old
Something new
Something to eat
And Santa too!

Fifty-five vendors will bring their wares to the Orcas Island Senior Center this Saturday for the Annual Holiday Festival. Huge snowflake decorations will decorate the halls of the Senior Center for the Holiday Festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with $1 admission or a donation to the Food Bank.

There will be familiar faces among them – Dale Heisinger’s woodwork, Maria Papademetriou’s collage art, Flo Bullock’s tie-dyed fabrics, Didier Gincig with Earthballs of all sizes, and Sandra Osterhouse’s new wooden Santas to add to her annual collection. Boku Book’s handmade journals will be there, as will Linda McCune with the “Captain Puget” CDs of her late husband, Don McCune.

New this year are handpainted clothes by Larkin Choller, Hula hoops by Joyce and Gene Greene, and Bonnie Bosler’s balsa wood beach houses.

At the food booths will be Christina Orchid selling farm-canned preserves, Jamie Plummer from Doe Bay with specialty cakes and Lisa Trifiro with gourmet food products. Holly Dennis will sell Harmony Chai.

The bake sale will be back, and the popular paninis will return from last year.

The non-profit Friends of Moran Park and the Historical Museum will also have booths this year.

Martin Lund will be at the piano, selling his CDs and performing throughout the day. Matthew Olson’s violin students will play at 10:30 a.m. and at noon, the Children’s Choir, led by Grace McCune, will perform.

Santa will encourage children to be good and tell him of their hearts’ desires at Santa’s first visit of the season.

All Holiday Festival-goers can purchase raffle tickets for two quilts and a woolen blanket made by Magdalena Ver Hasselt. A Silent Auction will be held for a craft basket created by Sarah Coffelt of Moon Glow, and five decorated tabletop Christmas trees. Other baskets to be raffled off include a Tool Basket, a Gourmet Deli Basket and two Entertainment baskets. There will also be artwork at the silent auction, created by Frank Loudin, Bill Trogdon and others.

With all booths sold out, the Senior Center Advisory Board is looking forward to a fun event with people making a day of it. “This is a good way to kick off the holidays,” says Advisor Jane Heisinger.