09 Nov 2015 Craft fair in Searcy

Women for Harding will host its third craft fair Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, at the White County Fair Grounds in Searcy. The event will feature crafts from 42 different vendors across the state and from Missouri and Oklahoma.

The first Women for Harding craft fair was held in the fall of 2013 on the Harding University campus and featured seven vendors. Due to the event’s growth, Women for Harding President Debbie Howard felt that a larger space was necessary.

“We had outgrown the space in the student center, and that is what prompted our looking for a new location,” Howard said. “This is the first year for the craft fair to be off campus and at the White County Fair Grounds. Changing locations has allowed us to accept additional vendors.”

Admission to the fair is free, and attendants will see a wide variety of holiday- and fall-themed crafts such as snowmen and Santas painted on vintage items, hand-painted ceramic Santas, Christmas wreaths, handmade wooden bowls and rolling pins made from Arkansas woods, home decor, greeting cards, handmade copper jewelry, clothing, food and furniture, and a variety of other items.

Women for Harding began in 1965 and raises money for need-based scholarships for Harding students. The organization holds many fundraisers throughout the year to build the scholarship fund and this year awarded $60,000 in scholarships. The organization supports 61 scholarship recipients. Craft fair vendors donate 10 percent of their sales from the event to Women for Harding.

“The vendors, students, and members of Women for Harding … we’re all a part of the same team,” Howard said. “It takes all of us working together to make a difference — to be a part of the community of mission that is Harding.”

The fair will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The White County Fair Grounds is located at 802 Davis Drive in Searcy.