Arts and Crafts

October 11

31st annual bazaar: The Holmstad will host its 31st annual bazaar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11 at the retirement center, 700 W. Fabyan Parkway, Batavia. Featured will be crafts, needlework, jewelry, books, plants, homemade candy, season decorations, and other items. There will be a raffle for a handmade quilt. Admission and parking are free. The bazaar will benefit several worthy causes. For details, call (630) 879-4444.

October 18

Autumn Arts & Crafts Show: The Batavia Mothers' Club Foundation will host its annual Arts and Craft Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mooseheart Fieldhouse, on Route 31 on the Batavia/North Aurora border. The show will include over 100 artisans, featuring handmade fine art, glass, photography, quilting, woodwork, floral items and more. Admission is $3. Start your holiday shopping early. As always, there will be a wide selection of arts and crafts from which to choose.

It also boasts one of the largest bake sales in the area, featuring a wide selection of cakes, pies, cookies, breads and more, plus a limited supply of the winning brownies from this year's Brownie Bake-Off. The best brownies will be chosen by some of Batavia's very own local officials at the new Limestone coffee shop in downtown Batavia and will be available for purchase at the craft show. Come early as these brownies sell fast!

During the show, the foundation will offer a limited breakfast and lunch. A raffle will feature gift packages and crafter packages.

Proceeds from the show are distributed to local charities whose work improves the lives of children, mothers and families in the Fox Valley community. For information, visit www.bataviamothersclub.org or call (630) 748-1501.

The Batavia Mothers' Club Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children in the Fox Valley area. Each year, the club donates more than $25,000 to local charities, including the Batavia Clothes Closet and the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, whose activities support this mission. The Batavia Mothers' Club Foundation is open to all mothers in the area who are interested in local philanthropic, service and community activities. Visit www.bataviamothersclub.org for more information.

Bartlett High School Fine Arts Booster Club: Sponsored by the Bartlett High School Fine Arts Booster Club, its ninth annual Arts and Craft show will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 at the high school, 701 Schick Road, at Army Trail and Petersdorf Road. The fair features 150 craft booths, great food and entertainment. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for students and seniors and free for children age 12 and younger.

Students studying music, photography, art, and theater benefit from the efforts of this group. Each year this booster club gives scholarships to four students to help them further their education in the Arts. The group expects to welcome more than 1,000 visitors to this year's fair. For details, Mary Douglas at (630) 830-8547.

Gingerbread Lane Bazaar: For nearly 60 years the Epworth Methodist Church has hosted a bazaar and during the more recent years it has been called the "Gingerbread Lane Bazaar." This event is the United Methodist Women's groups largest fundraiser for their various mission projects. This year's event will be from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. It will not only include home baked pies, cakes and cookies but gourmet food items which make ideal holiday gift. There also will be a jewelry table, an area featuring items hand made by church members as well as a white elephant and silent auction table. There also will be craft items brought in by outside vendors. And, if you get hungry while you're there, a barbecue lunch will be served and there is always lots of gingerbread cakes and cookies. For details, call (847) 931-5400 or visit epworthumcelgin.org.

October 25

Craft fair: St. Charles' Episcopal Church, 994 N. Fifth Ave. (Route 25) in St. Charles, is hosting a craft fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 25. Additional exhibitors for this juried show are welcome. Only hand crafted-items will be considered. Proceeds from the sale will support outreach activities at Hesed House in Aurora, the church's commitment to St. Barnaba Church in the Sudan, Habitat for Humanity, Lazarus House and other regional and national groups. Email Fay at Canadafay@comcast.net. More information and an application are available from www.stcharlesepiscopal.org.

October 25-26

Fair Trade Fare: Join second Fair Trade Fare where you can purchase handmade clothes, purses, baskets, jewelry, gift items, sugar, coffee, chocolate, olive oil and dried fruit and nuts-all fair trade. It will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 25 and noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 26 at Zion Lutheran Church, 330 Griswold St., Elgin. Enjoy a sample cup of coffee and a snack while you shop among the beautiful items.

Zion Lutheran is partnering with Ten Thousand Villages, one of the oldest and largest fair trade retailers in North America. This is not a fundraiser, but an opportunity to support artisans in other countries to provide for their basic needs and plan for the future.

There is no admission cost. For information, visit www.zionelginil.com.

November 1

Doorway to the Holidays: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School will host its 23rd annual "Doorway to the Holidays" fundraising craft show and luncheon from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1. The craft show is at Good Shepherd's Nesler Road and Route 20 Christian Life Center in Elgin. The sixth- to eighth-graders of Good Shepherd Lutheran School will serve a luncheon in the gathering room. There will also be a bake sale and cookie walk. Crafters are needed. For information, call the school office at (847) 741-7795 or visit goodshepherd-elgin.org.

November 1-2 and November 7-9

Craft fair: Crafters are wanted for a craft fair scheduled Nov. 1-2 at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, and Nov. 7-9 at Arlington Racecourse in Arlington Heights.

For more information, contact Karen Yackley at 1606 W. Jefferson St., Ottawa, IL 61350 or call (815) 878-2728. Applications are available at Web site www.craftproductions.yackley.org.

November 7-8

Christmas Bazaar and Food Expo: The St. Sophia Philoptochos Society presents its annual Christmas Bazaar and Food Expo from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8 in the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church's recreation center, 525 Church Road (near Route 31 and I-90) in Elgin. There will be an assortment of vendors, from jewelry to designer handbags, as well as handcrafted items such as holiday decorations and floral assortments. Another highlight will be the Greek Gourmet Shop where you can find imported goodies from Greece, and after you shop the vendors, take a moment to sit and enjoy some authentic Greek cuisine such as Grecian chicken, gyros, pastitsio, spanakopita and Greek salad. For dessert, they will be offering Greek as well as American coffee and homemade Greek pastries. They will once again have their "Grandma's Attic" section, where shoppers can find hidden treasures among the various donated items. Don't forget to purchase a raffle ticket for $2 to win prizes. There is no admission fee. For details, call (847) 888-2822.

November 15

Auxiliary craft show: The Ladies Auxiliary of Tri-City Evergreen Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2298 will host an arts and craft show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 15 at the post home, 117 S. First St., West Dundee. For details, call Fran Ganshow at (847) 426-2205.

November 22

Storm Artisan Expo: The second annual Storm Artisan Expo will offer artisan designs, crafts, jewelry, wood creations, pottery, home-baked treats and more from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 at South Elgin High School, 760 E. Main St., South Elgin. Anyone who does crafts, quilts, sews or creates gifts may reserve a table or space now. Cost is $30 and one donated item worth $10 retail for a door prize table. It is sponsored by the South Elgin High fine arts department and the parent booster foundation. For information or reservations, e-mail jontuin@u-46.org or call (847) 289-3760, ext. 3663.

November 29-30

Christmas Craft Show: Marmion Academy's two-day Christmas Craft Show will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 29 and 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 30. The juried craft show will be held at the academy, 1000 Butterfield Road, Aurora. Admission is $3 for those 12 and older. Complimentary baby-sitting service is offered both days. For information or to obtain an application, contact the Alumni Office at (630) 897-6936, ext. 228 or visit www.marmion.org/alumni/alumni.html. Last year's show featured 158 crafters and drew more than 3,400 paying customers.