Last week, Walt Whitman High School hosted its fourteenth annual Fine Arts & Crafts Fair. The South Gymnasium and South Cafeteria burst into life and color as dozens of vendors presented hundreds of crafts and items to anyone who attended. Vendors from all over Long Island, New York, and the East Coast congregated at Whitman to show off their goods and wares just in time for the holiday season. The Fair is known for being one of the few handcrafted only arts and crafts fair on Long Island, attracting a substantial number of attendees throughout the day.

As my club, Lamplighters, helps run and manage this event annually, I had the pleasure of working the event from start to finish, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. I must say, it is such a strange experience watching the gymnasium and cafeteria I attend almost every day transform into a beautiful market for several hours, and then back to its original state afterwards.

At 7:00 AM, I came to the school with my club and the help of several other Whitman students to help the vendors move their goods and galleries from their vans into the school building. Unlike the customers that these vendors would have to sell their products to throughout the day, I had the pleasure of conversing with them as I helped move them into the school. I got to hear the stories behind their beautiful crafts and why they participate in the arts.

Some of them chose to sell their art because they needed the money, or their families needed the money. Others decided to do it out of love for their work and the need to share it to the world, while some just wanted to show off to the other vendors. Hearing the stories behind each and every vendor and their handmade goods changed my perspective on the whole event. A lot of these people chose not to get job working for others, but rather turn their passion and love for art into a career, working for no one but themselves.

By 10:00 AM we had an eager crowd waiting outside of the school’s front lobby, waiting to see what crafts would be displayed this year. Needless to say, this year’s turnout for the event was significantly higher than that of last year’s; I had to squeeze my way around attendees to speak to vendors. At this point, I did not have much to do as I was already done helping vendors set up, so I decided to explore the Fair.

One of my other favorite parts about working the Fair is the atmosphere of it. Everywhere I went I couldn’t help but stop to look at certain vendors, some of whom produced goods that I have never seen and will probably never see again. One woman made bracelets and necklaces out of discarded guitar picks and litter she finds on the street, another woman made purses out of Capri Sun pouches. One vendor sold “alternative scented candles,” which were pretty non-conventional candle scenes – instead of selling the mundane vanilla or peach-scented candle, she sold candles that smelled like alcohol, gasoline, and even marijuana.

One of my personal favorite vendors (and apparently, many other’s) is a man famously dubbed as “Bread Guy.” Each year, Bread Guy sells an assortment of bagels, pretzels, baguettes, rolls, and pizza to the masses. I honestly wish this man started up his own restaurant in town, because it would attract so many customers. He sold out several times during the event, and I watched him leave to get more bread to sell to people as the demand for his bread exceeded his supply (I study my economics, Mr. Corcoran).

At 5:00 PM, the event came to an end, and we had to help vendors take down their galleries and pack up to leave. Some vendors sold out, satisfied with the event, and ready to go home. However, there were some vendors who I saw whose galleries looked the same as they did in the beginning of the day, not a single one of their products sold. It made me a bit upset, seeing the same vendors in the morning who were excited to unleash their creations into the world and get money for their families or get recognized for their hard work end up with nothing sold. Several students and I made conversation with these vendors as we helped them unload, consoling them about not selling anything. Some of us even bought some of their products at the last possible second to make sure that they did not go home without a single item sold.

Despite some of them not having sold anything, they were happy as many volunteer students from Whitman walked them to their cars, ready to send them home or maybe even to another arts and crafts fair in the country.

Even though we had an amazing turnout this year, I still do not feel it is enough. This event should be advertised more and made more appealing to a wider variety of people. The few Whitman students I saw there were either volunteers or there for sports or chorus practice; I probably saw one or two come by their own free will. People underestimate how unique this fair is; it’s one of the last few remaining handmade only fairs on Long Island. At the fair, I saw a lot of jewelry, t-shirts, bags, hats, and other accessories that I know that students from our school would enjoy and buy in a heartbeat to help support these vendors.

This event set of a spark within me for the arts that I have not felt in a long, long time, and it made me view the arts, the people working it, and the motives behind it all in a different and new way. For anyone who didn’t attend, this event truly showcases what the arts is all about: innovation and tradition intermixed to show the masses unique and one-of-a-kind ways to express oneself and give back to the world.

I would hate to see the quality in the vendors of this event drop due to a lack of support from the community, as this fair is known for being handcrafted, meaning that all of the goods and crafts showcased are the only ones in existence. It’s hard to find a store in the mall that sells Capri Sun purses or marijuana candles.

I wholeheartedly support the artists for their work and dedication to their passions. This event was one of my favorite events to work during my years at Whitman, and I encourage everyone who could not attend this year to make it next year and to spread the word out about how unique it is.