The Chapel Hill Arts & Crafts Show will be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Berrien County Fairgrounds in Berrien Springs.
The first Chapel Hill Arts & Crafts Show was organized 32 years ago in the fall of 1980 as a mission fundraiser by the United Methodist Women of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Sodus. Sherry Burtchett, who was a member of Chapel Hill and a craftsperson herself, headed the show.
As the show grew in size, the women’s group passed the show over to the entire congregation, where it developed into a mission project that utilizes the time and talents of many of the 230 Chapel Hill parishioners. The dedication of its members, both young and old, has helped it to accomplish Burtchett’s goal.
Now, 32 years later, it reaps the benefits and rewards. The show provides monetary support for local and worldwide missions; a marketplace for a large number of exhibitors and shoppers; and an opportunity for members of Chapel Hill to work together and to grow in faith.
The location changed through the years as it outgrew exhibitor and parking spaces. Moving to the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds has provided it the opportunity to offer a larger variety of crafts, with parking facilities. There are 285 indoor exhibitor spaces and room for more than 70 exhibitors outside. It also maintains a lunch area, which features pie by the slice and a bake sale. Outside there are additional crafts, produce, live plants and flowers, food vendors and a vintage tractor display by members from the Michiana Two-Cylinder Club. Two entrances to the fairground are utilized for better crowd and traffic control.
In 2000, it developed a Chapel Hill Arts & Crafts Show website, www.chapelhill-craftshow.org. The website has applications, exhibitor listings, a craft search and contact information.
Profits from the show go to support Chapel Hill’s mission projects. The combined profits from the past 31 years have totaled approximately $464,300.