Nearly 200 juried crafters, designers and artists are setting up shop this weekend at the Eastern States Exposition’s Better Living Center in West Springfield for the Old Deerfield Holiday Sampler, a two-day craft fair that doubles as one of the region’s biggest fundraisers for a nonprofit historical association. Shoppers can expect everything from hand-carved wooden toy soldiers to fabric Christmas trees, plus a visit from Santa and a miniature New England village frozen in the year 1897.
According to MassLive, the fair features nearly 200 juried crafters, designers and artists working across categories that include ceramics, printmaking, mixed media, jewelry, sculpture, fiber, photography, fashion, woodworking, glass, leather, fine art and specialty foods. Those numbers diverge slightly from other accounts of the event: the organizer’s own event page advertises “over 200 juried crafters, designers and artists,” while WWLP describes the 38th annual fair as featuring more than 150 vendors. Jennifer Smith, coordinator of the Old Deerfield Craft Fairs, said visitors come looking for unique handmade gifts for the holidays, per MassLive.
New Faces Among the Returning Favorites
Among this year’s newcomers is Butterfield Traditions, a Rindge, New Hampshire-based business making its Old Deerfield Holiday Sampler debut at the Better Living Center. Owner Robin Whitney, who learned to sew from her grandmother and mother, told MassLive her craftmaking began out of love several years ago. Her booth will feature fabric Christmas trees in 9-inch and 13-inch sizes, table centerpieces designed to accompany them, aprons with heavy fabric backing and shoulder straps made for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and other holidays, and potholders built with heavy backing and multiple layers of fiber.
Also new to the show are Nancy and Peter Kampf, who operate New England Rustic Wood Product and are participating in their first Old Deerfield Holiday Sampler. The couple uses reclaimed wood to create home and seasonal decor, and the booth will focus mainly on Christmas items this weekend. That includes hand-painted and hand-lettered wooden toy soldiers in two sizes, which Nancy Kampf said were made in memory of her father, who also made wooden toy soldiers.
Light-Up Trees and a Countdown to Christmas
New England Rustic Wood Product is also bringing a wooden LED Christmas tree frame standing about four-and-a-half feet tall, decorated with colorful lights strung through its center. Rounding out the booth is a “99 Days ’Til Christmas” countdown calendar that Nancy Kampf described as depicting a brick wall, mantle and fireplace, complete with hooks for numbered stockings to hang from.
The fair also leans into its history-minded roots with a miniature New England village, circa 1897, created by Beverly Kidder, giving visitors a close-up look at how a turn-of-the-century town might have prepared for the holidays. Free family craft-making activities will run all weekend, and shoppers can vote for the most festively and creatively decorated booths on the floor. Santa himself is scheduled to make an appearance to meet with shoppers, according to The Republican.
Dates, Admission and Where the Money Goes
The 38th annual fair runs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gate 9, 875 Memorial Ave. in West Springfield, according to the Old Deerfield Craft Fairs event page. Admission is $10 for adults, while children 12 and under get in free; Big E parking costs $5, and visitors who turn in their parking receipt at the show’s information booth can receive a 2-for-1 coupon for the 2027 spring sampler.
The craft fair is organized by the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and serves as the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser, with proceeds supporting its historical and educational programs, museums and library, as previously reported by WWLP. Last year’s 37th edition drew shoppers to the same Eastern States Exposition grounds, featuring work from 200 artisans and crafters at $8 adult admission, according to the station’s earlier coverage. More information is available at deerfield-craft.org or by calling 413-774-5400.
