Holiday Bazaar awaits on Saturday
By Terry Murry on Friday, November 22nd, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Altrusa of Pendleton holds its Hometown Holiday Bazaar Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pendleton Convention Center. Mary Alice Ridgway, a long-time member of the nonprofit organization, says the bazaar is an honored tradition.
“It started in 1967, so we’re celebrating our 57th year this year,” she said.
The Holiday Bazaar was originally held at Hawthorne School, which is now the Pendleton Early Learning Center. It outgrew the gym at the elementary school and now spreads out in the convention center’s main hall as well as two rooms on the east side and two rooms on the west side. Ridgway said at last county there were more than 90 vendors scheduled to display their holiday wares.
“What makes the Altrusa Bazaar a little unique is that we are not a juridic bazaar,” Ridgway said. “We let our audience do that. If a vendor comes and the public doesn’t buy anything because they don’t want to have what it is, they don’t come back.”
Ridgway said there are many returning vendors and some new ones as well. That’s not all the bazaar offers, however.
Back in the Happy Canyon Room, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus will be there all day and supervised children’s activities will allow parents some shopping time. The café will be open as well, featuring the favorites including egg salad sandwiches, chili, tacos, and hot dogs. Cinnamon rolls are served in the morning. The food prices have not changed.
There are also a number of baskets for the popular raffle. Tickets will be available at the convention center. People do not have to be present to win. Altrusa will contact them by phone if they aren’t there. Admission is $2, with children 12 and under admitted free. Raffle tickets cost $5 each and in addition to the basket or baskets people choose to put them in for, all raffle tickets will also be entered in a drawing to win $2,000.
Proceeds from the bazaar support Altrusa’s many projects throughout the community. That includes food for over the weekend for students who need it, scholarships, and necessities for homeless students in the Pendleton School District.
