40th annual Holiday Craft Fair

From 40th annual Holiday Craft Fair Website:

One of the Mount Desert Island areas oldest and most popular craft showcases will return for holiday shopping on Dec. 5-6 when the Island Arts Association presents its 40th Annual Holiday Craft Fair. The free event will be held in the Atlantic Oceanside conference center, 119 Eden St. (Route 3), Bar Harbor, from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The fair is an opportunity to browse among new work by some of the areas most accomplished artisans and purchase holiday gifts for all ages and interests. Forty-five crafters will offer their work in a wide selection of media including hand blown art glass, jewelry, dolls, ceramics, knits, quilting, handbags, woodworking, photography and more.

Food sales throughout the fair will help support the heating costs of the YWCA of Mount Desert Island, which offers affordable housing for women year-round.

Each day, the first customer for each vendor will receive a free IAA shopping bag. Free coffee will be served on Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. and free cookies on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m.

An MDI holiday tradition since 1975, the IAA Holiday Craft Fair was originally held at the Bar Harbor Municipal Building, then moved to its current site to accommodate more artisans and shoppers. The event is one of the IAAs four annual craft fairs, providing a market for local artisans and helping to support the creative economy of the Mount Desert Island community.