Since 1992
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By Nicole Sautter
LHS Athletic Boosters president
LISBON — In 1965, the average cost of a brand new home was $13,600 and gas was 31 cents a gallon.Times have certainly changed over the past 53 years, and Lisbon residents have had their fair share of seeing things come and go, but one thing that the community has always been able to count on is the annual Lisbon Holiday Craft Fair.
This year, more than 80 local crafters are taking part, the largest fair in Lisbon’s history. The fair is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10.
It started with a small group of volunteers who were determined to send the band members of the Class of 1965 on a trip to compete in Boston.
“Five card tables were brought in, and set up in the center downstairs where you enter the other level [Lisbon High School],” recalls Elsie Samson, a local crafter who has participated in this fair for all 53 years. “My mom and I were so happy to do it, and it’s what makes me want to go each year. She was so happy about the band.”
Elsie’s mother – Elsie Chase – may have very well felt a sense of accomplishment in watching her son, Ken Chase, of the Class of 1965, make his way to Boston for that band competition, but what she could not have fathomed is the impact this fair would have on the small community for decades to come.
The Lisbon Holiday Craft Fair has grown from five tables in a hallway at Lisbon High School to 30 tables in the LHS cafeteria to more than 100 tables in the recently built gymnasium/mezzanine. But what’s most impressive is the continuity of the fair, despite how many times it has changed hands from one group to the next.
For the past nine years, the fair has been run by the volunteers of the Lisbon Athletic Boosters, who take pride in continuing the legacy of those who ignited the spark, and have a profound respect for the community and crafters who have kept the small town feel alive in a fair that continues to grow throughout the years.
Elsie Samson understands that small town connection, which is what has kept her coming back since the very beginning. She says, “I always enjoy this fair, as I see folks that I only get to see once a year.”
