Tenino Winterfest 2008

This year I attended the Tenino Winterfest at Tenino High School.  The Tenino Food Bank sponsored the event, and they did a really nice thing for attending vendors: They provided free booth spaces.  The event is annual, and is well-known locally in Tenino.  Since it's very close to home, I thought we should get a booth space and give it a try.  I was pleasantly surprised by both the size and the attendance.

As a vendor, I like to help a worthwhile cause when I can.  With this year being as tough as it has been, food banks across the country are struggling to keep enough food to help those that need it.  Attending the Tenino Winterfest craft bazaar felt like a good way to show support for such an important community element.

The event is held in the high school's gymnasium, which is a pretty decent size, allowing for decently sized booths. 

 The variety of vendors was very good given that most were from the immediate vicinity.  I am always amazed by the amount and diversity of talent we have in our area: From a local chocolatier like Aunt Kate's Chocolates to a local lapidary/jewelry/beadmaker business like The Pacifik Image, Tenino's Winterfest offers a lot to the attendee in search of a unique gift.

High school students were present, providing ginger-bread house-making skills for small donations.  The food bank and its troop of organizers made sure there was a food court.  Vendors were invited to provide goods for a raffle to further entice attendance.  All are good ways to keep attendees in attendance.

There are probably a couple tweaks the event could make to improve the experience for the vendor, but overall, I'd have to say it's a nice little craft fair with a lot of potential.