Friends of the Conant Public Library Holiday Craft Fair

10/16/2026

🚨Vendor Highlight Alert!
Welcome back to one of our returning vendors, Art by Joyce! Joyce is a watercolor artist. Her subjects include florals, still life, landscapes and animals. She paints in vibrant colors and prefers a looser style. Items for sale will include original matted watercolor paintings, printed cards and magnets.
Check out Art by Joyce and all our other great vendors on November 21, from 9- 2pm at Chocksett and Houghton Schools in Sterling! Your $2 admission helps support our library!

10/14/2026

🚨Vendor Highlight Alert!
It's time to start highlighting our vendors for this year's Holiday Craft Fair! First up is Tay and Clay, featuring beautiful handmade polymer clay jewelry. Get your holiday shopping started early!
Check out Tay and Clay and all our other great vendors on November 21, from 9- 2pm at Chocksett and Houghton Schools in Sterling! Your $2 admission helps support our library!

10/08/2026

Friends of Library craft fair returns to Sterling schools

The annual Friends of the Conant Public Library Holiday Craft Fair is returning for a second year to Houghton and Chocksett Schools, 32 Boutelle Road, Sterling, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, November 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year, in addition to filling the two cafeterias, the fair is expanding to the gymnasium.

More than 60 talented local artisans will offer handmade holiday and gift items. There will be plenty of convenient parking for shoppers.

This popular juried event was held for many years at the First Church in Sterling. Most of the crafters from previous fairs will be returning, and they will be joined by new talent. The fair will also feature a bake sale, cheese sale, raffle, and lunch cafe.

Artisans will offer alpaca products, aromatherapy, baskets, beach glass art, skincare and haircare items, caned chairs, cork products, crochet items, embellished flannel shirts for kids and adults, wool felted gifts and decor, wreaths, jams and jellies, jewelry, holiday ornaments and decor, succulent dish gardens, pottery, rope bowls, wind chimes, Zen catchers, wood products (bowls, boxes, trays, birdhouses, spoons, puzzles, cutting boards, ornaments, phone stands), maple syrup, pet pictures and products, olive oil and sauces, books, cards, decoupage, candles in vintage teacups, knitted and quilted items, handmade folios, painted glass, soaps, hot pads and potholders, watercolor paintings, stained glass, pen and ink drawings, book pillows, doll quilts and aprons, table runners, collage art and tins, hand-painted gifts, and more.

Admission to the fair is $2, which supports programs at the Conant Public Library. Shoppers will receive a Passport they can have stamped in three locations, then enter for a prize drawing.

The crafter booths are full, but you can send an email to Beth Cyr at [email protected] to be placed on the waiting list to be considered in the event of a cancellation, and to receive information about next year’s fair.

Send a message to learn more

02/27/2026

2026 Craft Fair Vendors Wanted! Applications are now being accepted for Friends of the Conant Public Library Holiday Craft Fair, being held on November 21, 2026 at Chocksett and Houghton Schools in Sterling from 9 am to 2 pm.

Due to increased vendor interest and a higher volume of shoppers, the fair is expanding to 74 booths this year. Close to 700 shoppers attended in 2025. The fair will be advertised online and in local newspapers, and with posters and roadside signs.

The application deadline is April 15, 2026. Crafters will be selected by a rolling jury process, and all items must be handmade. The fair is typically booked before the deadline, so apply early.

Applications are available on the Conant Public Library’s website, https://sterlinglibrary.org/friends-of-the-library/ or printed applications are available at the front desk of the Conant Public Library, 4 Meetinghouse Hill Road, in Sterling center.

For more information, send an email to Beth Cyr at [email protected].

12/06/2025

Thank you to craft fair volunteers
It was wonderful to see the holiday spirit at the Friends of the Conant Public Library Arts & Crafts Show, held on November 22 at the Houghton and Chocksett schools in Sterling. Almost 700 shoppers found a wide variety of high-quality art and craft items made by local artisans.
The Friends would like to thank the many volunteers who helped make the fair a success, including those who donated goodies for the bake sale, assisted in the kitchen, donated items for the lunch menu, delivered lunches to vendors, sold raffle tickets, accepted donations at the door, designed and distributed posters and signs, helped to set up and break down the fair, and helped vendors carry their wares into the building (including members of Y.A.H.O.O., Boy Scouts and library teen volunteers). Thanks also go to Houghton and Chocksett schools for allowing their space to be used for the fair this year.
All One Credit Union is appreciated for supporting the fair as a co-sponsor.
Proceeds will fund materials and programs for the Conant Public Library, including the Summer Reading Program for children.
Beth Cyr
Craft Fair Chairperson
Friends of the Conant Public Library in Sterling