Just Plain Neighbors: Holiday, winter fairs and markets easy to find all around county

[ Originally published on: Friday, December 04, 2009 ]

Saturday is the day. No one could possibly visit all the fairs and flea markets that are scheduled. So ... all the following are set for Saturday and I'll take it from there:

LITERACY VOLUNTEERS of Orange and Athol from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Diane Lincoln of Bruce's Browsers will donate 20 percent of her sales to the literacy group. Gift certificates and prepaid orders are included.

Literacy Volunteers provides free and confidential tutoring to adults and out-of-school youths over age 16.

Bruce's is at 1497 Main St. in the upper common of Athol.

SHUTESBURY HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE will be operating from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Shutesbury Elementary School gym, sponsored by the school's PTO. To benefit the school and the Artist-In-Residence program.

Hand-blown glass, a wide range of jewelry, hand crafted wooden ware, quilted handbags, holiday cards and baby blankets are only a few of the items. A vendor bar will be set up.

The school is at 23 West Pelham Road.

NORTHFIELD CONTINUES THE TRADITION of the three-church Christmas fair day, dating back to the late 1930s and including First Parish Unitarian, St. Patrick's Catholic Church and Trinitarian Congregational Church from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hand-decorated wreaths, flea markets, homemade foods and candy, lovely ornaments and jewelry and door prizes will be featured. Lunch at all three churches and you will hear Christmas music wherever you go.

''Although the recession isn't completely over, Christmas Fair Day in Northfield offers a return to the kind of small-town special event that will lift your spirits and calm your nerves,'' said Noelle Anson, who is handling publicity. This is a good theme for all the fairs on Saturday.

FRIENDS OF GREENFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARY will have a used book sale from 10 a.m. to noon. There will be the usual assortment of novels, mysteries, history, biography, religion and children's books. The bargain section allows a choice from many fiction and non-fiction titles, all for $2 a bag.

Of course, proceeds will benefit the cash-strapped library.

The book sale continues on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For the full version of this story, you may purchase The Recorder electronically, by returning to the home page and clicking under ''E-Edition'' on the right side of your screen, or you can purchase the print edition, which is available throughout Franklin County, Massachusetts.

 

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