NAHANT — The Nahant Village Church is eagerly preparing to bring the annual Christmas Fair back for another year, which is scheduled to take place on Dec. 6 and starts at 9 a.m., free of charge.
Office Manager Chris Stevens said the event has been a successful staple of the church community for at least 30 years. She added that it’s the church’s largest fundraiser, which helps fund its year-round community outreach programs.
Over the course of the many years the church has hosted the fair, Stevens noted it has evolved over time.
“We used to have a lot of people within the church who would do crafts, knit, things like that. Everything in the fair was produced by someone who belonged to the church. … But we don’t have those people anymore, so now we rent out space to local vendors and artisans – they pay a price to rent space, but we still maintain the popular jewelry table and baked goods,” Stevens said.
She continued, explaining that this year, the church will be rolling out a new aspect for people to enjoy: a raffle calendar that participants can play for $20. Every day throughout January, the church will draw a winner who will receive gift cards and other prizes.
Stevens said the prize for the winner on Jan. 1 will be $100 in cash.
The church will also be a part of the Garden Club House Tour, which will see the Garden Club file into the church a week before the event in order to decorate the chapel.
For some people, a recurring favorite is the table of lobster rolls that have become a local favorite among the community.
Officer of the Nahant Village Church Marrit Hastings said it’s a huge event that draws people who return to town just to experience the fair.
“Even the people that moved far away, they make it a point to come back,” Hastings said.
Stevens said, “To have that community connection, that’s what we’re all about. This is a community church, and we want people to feel welcome here, no matter what their religious affiliation is; our doors are open to everybody.”
There will also be pizza provided for attendees.
