4th annual Holly Fair at Johnston High promises family fun

“It’s an event you don’t want to miss,” Pat Hannagan said Tuesday. “We’ll have something for everyone.”

Hannagan, a long-serving volunteer with Johnston High School’s Parent-Teacher-Student Organization (PTSO), was speaking about the non-profit’s fourth annual Holly Fair, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 22, at the school.

And if the plans Hannagan unveiled earlier this week are any indication, the PTSO will transform Johnston High’s corridors into a mini-mall.

“We’ll have upwards of 50 vendors,” said Hannagan, who is co-chairing the ambitious event with another long-time, dedicated PTSO volunteer, Deb Spaur. “And it’s never – ever – too late for people who’d like to showcase their wares to have a booth.”

All an interested vendor has to do is call Spaur at 401-439-7930, pay the $30 vendor fee and show up Saturday for an event that promises to draw a big crowd. All checks should be made payable to the Johnston High School PTSO.

“Each vendor is responsible for bringing their own table or tables, chairs and signage,” Hannagan said. “We ask that all vendors donate at least one item upon their arrival so that we can use it for our main raffle.”

Set up time for all vendors is 8:30 a.m. Saturday, and the fourth annual Holly Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fair-goers are asked to use the main entrance at Johnston High upon their arrival.

Hannagan and Spaur, along with PTSO president Ray Domainge, are also excited about this year’s Holly Fair because Santa Claus is scheduled to make an appearance.

“People will be able to have their children take a picture with Santa Claus, too,” Hannagan said. “This is always a special time – and family picture – that will last for generations.”

Spaur said Santa Claus will be at the Holly Fair from noon to 3 p.m., and she emphasized that “there is absolutely no charge to get into the fair or to take a picture of kids with Santa. Most people use their cell phone cameras for photos like that.”

Thus, it’s all systems go for the PTSO’s annual Holly Fair, an old-fashioned get together that will again feature vendors and crafters plus food, prizes and raffles.

“Shop ‘til you drop!” Hannagan said. “And please remember, this directly benefits the students at Johnston High School.”

At present, in fact, the PTSO is in the process of purchasing laptop computers that students can take right into the classroom. As an example of just how successful the non-profit support group is – and has been through the years – Spaur said “we also helped put the new sound system into the school auditorium.”