By Samantha Bonifas
The Silver Lake FFA chapter hosted the 2nd Annual Small Town Craft Show on November 19, 2022. The craft show is an event held by the Silver Lake FFA with the goal of benefitting FFA members while bringing community members together. The 2nd Annual Small Town Craft Show hosted 30 vendors with goods including candles, boutiques, honey, bath towels, handmade crafts, paintings, macrame, jewelry, greenery, t-shirts, tupperware, resin art, and baked goods. There were also two food trucks and a coffee stand in attendance. Over 300 guests attended the 2nd Annual Small Town Craft Show.
The craft show began as a goal to gather community members together. Silver Lake FFA officers had an officer retreat in the summer of 2021 where officers and Mrs. Curlo set a goal to create an event that would benefit FFA members while creating a connection with the community. With this goal, the Small Town Craft Show was born.
The 2021 Small Town Craft Show was a huge success. Soon after, FFA officers were set to work on the 2nd Annual Small Town Craft Show. The officers set the date for the Saturday before Thanksgiving to ensure that community members would be in a festive mood. Vendors applied to the craft show through a Google form and then paid their vendor fee. The vendor fees are a large part of the fundraiser side of the craft show. The fees cover traveling expenses for FFA members to attend competitions, leadership events, and conventions.
FFA officers work diligently to complete a successful craft show. Whether it is organizing payments and vendor locations within the barn, or reaching out to radio stations for advertisements and TV stations for interviews, the craft show allows FFA officers to learn new skills about responsibility and communication. FFA members are also included in the day as they work shifts as parking attendants and working in the FFA concession stand.
Silver Lake FFA is thankful for a successful 2nd Annual Small Town Craft Show. The FFA chapter would like to thank the Brader family for their donation of their beautiful facilities to host the craft show, along with the vendors, community members, FFA members, and parents that provide the help and support to accomplish the day.