Fourth of July craft fair held by women entrepreneurs in Crossmore, NC

From a press release:

Fourth of July craft fair held by women entrepreneurs in Crossmore, NC

HandMade in America has brought their Appalachian Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program to the women of Crossnore, NC, to teach them business skills and provide tools to create their very first craft fair.

In partnership with the Crossnore Community Enhancement Committee (CCEC) and volunteer fire department, this craft fair will be an important addition to the town’s annual Family Fun on the Fourth celebration, which will take place from 10:00am-7:00pm on July 4, 2014. The craft fair, located in the parking lot of the Blair Fraley Sales Store, will allow the small town of 192 people to showcase and sell their locally-made wares as an added attraction to the holiday festivities.

HandMade’s Appalachian Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program teaches women in rural WNC communities the important business, creative, industry, and access-to-market skills necessary to develop and manage small businesses in today’s economic climate. The AWE Program provides these women with an important network of peers and fellow female artists, access to resources and educational materials, and opportunities to gain experience and implement skills learned.

The newest community participating in HandMade’s AWE program, the energetic women of Crossnore immediately began in January, 2014, with a goal to develop their skills and implement this knowledge through a project benefiting their entire community. “Crossnore’s annual Independence Day celebration usually brings in around 2,000 people and is known to have best fireworks show in the region,” said Linda LaBelle, Entrepreneurship Program Manager at HandMade. “With this celebration being the town’s largest event of the year, we felt it was fitting for the women’s first craft fair to be featured as part of the day’s activities.”

The Volunteer Fire Department’s regionally recognized Family Fun on the Fourth celebration will also include very unique activities (like the famous frog-jumping contest) to very traditional activities such as a cake-walk around the fountain, as well as arts and crafts for kids, face painting, Crossnore Elementary Art Show, parade, gun raffle, Honorary Veterans ceremony, watermelon give-away, the craft fair, and fireworks.

Families return to Crossnore year and after year to participate in this great America tradition.  The CCEC and HandMade in America believe the added craft fair, held from 10:00am-7:00pm in the parking lot of the Blair Fraley Sales Store, will draw an even larger crowd this year.  To learn more about the AWE program’s work in Crossnore and Family Fun on the Fourth please contact Linda LaBelle at llabelle@handmadeinamerica.org or 828-252-0121.