Exploring the Handmade

The 46th annual Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar, sponsored by Broken Arrow’s Alpha Rho Chapter of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha philanthropic service organization, will be Saturday, October 27, 9:00 am until 4 pm, at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church located at 400 W. New Orleans St. (101st & Elm) in Broken Arrow. This is your chance to shop a wide selection of handmade craft items and support a number of worthy causes. Admission and parking is free.

The Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar will feature over 80 booths with a wide variety of hand-crafted items including jewelry, stained glass, knitted items, woodwork, paintings, seasonal items, stationery, pet treats, pottery and ceramics, clothing, children’s items, books, and food including soup, fudge and baked goods. “We always have such good variety,” says Nancy Stanley, who has been co-chair of the Arts and Crafts Benefit Bazaar for over 17 years. “The booths are always fantastic – our crafters are so imaginative, and their creativity is exciting to see.” 

Epsilon Sigma Alpha is an international nonprofit leadership and service organization. ESA chapters work individually and jointly to raise funds for charitable causes. One ESA priority is the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a primary recipient. St. Jude, founded by Danny Thomas, is a world leader in pediatric cancer research and treatment.  Parents never receive a bill from St. Jude, so donations like ESA’s provide needed funding. Closer to home, Meals on Wheels and Broken Arrow Neighbors are among our community’s beneficiaries that Alpha Rho proudly supports. “Over the years Alpha Rho Chapter has donated almost $250,400.00 to charities. We’re a group of like-minded people who want to serve the community and continue learning throughout life,” says Stanley. “Our Broken Arrow chapter has people from all walks of life, including many from social service and education backgrounds.”

The St. Stephen’s pumpkin patch raises funds for mission work while the church’s United Methodist Women provide help for projects focusing on needs of women and children.  All of the October 27th activities provide shoppers a unique opportunity to have fun and enjoy shopping, all while benefitting many people who are in need.

Each year their event gets better and better. Linda Jones, co-chairman, remarked, “I enjoy welcoming faithful returning vendors and greeting new vendors each year. Some vendors have been with us almost since the inception of the bazaar.  People who attend will find wonderful gift ideas for family and friends. It is great to know that every dollar raised will go to charities.”

“Many people look forward to the show each year,” Linda said. “We get so many crafters every year, and they know they’ll have a friendly, helpful atmosphere – it’s really a family environment. We want all our crafters to have a good experience, and we always try to help our new crafters too. There are a lot of good feelings – helping other people is the point of the show.” 

If you’re a crafter, booths are still available. Booth spaces are 8’ x 10’ and priced at $50.00, plus $5.00 if electricity is needed. For more information or to register for a booth, call Nancy Stanley at (918) 251-0617.