Railroad Museum Holds 47th Annual Bazaar

SCHOHARIE -  As November came toward a close, the Schoharie Colonial Heritage Association held their forty seventh annual Christmas Bazaar in the Railroad Museum off Depot Lane.

For the price of a ticket that went toward a fundraiser for the Association, any and all were invited to attend the bazaar, with thirty two local artisans showing off their latest wares of honey, jewelry, blankets, carvings, candles, and so much more. 

John Wilkinson, a member of the Association and a vendor selling his local paintings, explained that the bazaar was started by his mother-in-law, Helen Sumner.

Ever since then, people like Barbara Sharpe have been working diligently to hold it year after year and provide a community that supports one another in their craft.

“COVID shut everything down,” said Mr. Wilkinson, noting that there was recently a time where the bazaar couldn’t be held. But now that the pandemic has passed, the Association is looking forward to accommodating more vendors for the future.

“This is a very good thing to get people together,” he concluded.

The sentiment was held by the vendors themselves, as Cheryl Jones of TooCoolBeads in East Berne said that she was ecstatic about the weekend.

“It’s been great here,” she said, stating that she had been attending the bazaar for at least ten years. “We get people that come back here time after time just to see us.”

Tricia Ball, the head of Tricia’s Ooak Arts from West Fulton, couldn’t agree more. Coming to the bazaar with her supply of decorative wooden hangings for her fourth year, she stated that the event has more than doubled her sales.

“This year has been a huge success for me,” she said, thanking all who gave her patronage. “I love this show, there’s really stuff for everyone here.”

Once the show concluded, the Association said that they’re already planning to send out letters for next year, and they can’t wait to invite everyone out for another round of fun.