A senior-focused craft fair reaches a milestone this month. The Mayor's 50th Annual Craft & Country Fair is set for Saturday, November 21, running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall, with free admission.
A post from Honolulu DPR
announced the fair. The post says this year's fair will host more than 50 exhibitors, up from the more than 40 senior-related booths counted at last year's 49th edition, as reported by the
City and County of Honolulu Elderly Affairs Division
. Shoppers can expect crafts, jams and jellies, cookies, an open market, flowers and plants, and the fair's signature white elephant contest.
Five Decades of Supporting Kupuna Clubs
The fair's tagline this year, “Your Support Helps Kupuna Clubs Islandwide,” points to its core mission. Oahu is home to 30 senior clubs, and residents 55 and older are welcome to join in on club activities; some club members are in their 90s, with a few reaching 100 years old, per the DPR announcement.
At the 2015 fair, vendors offered crafts, baked goods, orchids and fresh produce.
This isn't a new tradition dressed up for an anniversary. Decades ago, the 41st Annual Mayor's Craft and Country Fair drew hundreds of people to the same Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, according to a report from Hawaii News Now. That earlier fair was also free and featured craft booths, homemade baked goods, a white elephant sale, and a health and fitness expo aimed at Baby Boomers, the outlet noted.
Donations Welcome, From Canned Goods to Old Eyeglasses
Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods for the Hawaii Food Bank, a tradition the station's earlier report also described, noting that DPR Senior Clubs collected canned goods for the food bank while the Honolulu Lions Club gathered used eyeglasses and hearing aids for refurbishment and redistribution. This year, the collection drive for used eyeglasses and hearing aids is organized through the Ala Moana Lions Club, which will have the items repaired and redistributed to people in need.
The 49th fair's proceeds went toward local park senior clubs, and admission was free.
For general questions about the fair, the Senior Citizens Section can be reached at 808-768-3015 or by emailing [email protected]. The Department of Parks and Recreation is directed by Laura H. Thielen, with Kehaulani Puu serving as deputy director, under Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi.
