Holiday spirit fills the room as in-person event returns to SMC Campus Center for the first time since 2019.
Holiday music filled the air. Vendors stood behind tables, selling their homemade or handmade wares. Shoppers roamed the floor, looking for gifts, the perfect stocking stuffer, or maybe something for themselves.
After a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19 restrictions, the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Holiday Craft Fair returned to the SMC Campus Center on Dec. 2, and the sentiment from sellers and shoppers was the same:
It’s good to be together again.
“It was a long, cold couple of years, so it’s great to be here in person,” said Jenny Trostel, a former fundraiser for the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s (UMSOM) Institute of Human Virology who was selling quilts, tree skirts, table runners, ornaments, and other handmade items in a corner of the Elm Ballrooms. “We have really enjoyed this fair and the others we’ve done recently because we’ve gotten to see people again. This is one of my favorite craft fairs. I absolutely love coming back to UMB for events like this.”
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Standing behind another table nearby was Georgia Dandeneau, who explained how she creates mittens and other accessories from upcycled wool sweaters. She said she’s been selling at craft fairs for 12 years and was returning to the UMB event for the sixth time.
“It’s fantastic to be back,” she said. “It feels really good to be able to sell our items again — and to see people again. The folks here at UMB are really nice. This is one of my favorite shows.”
Nancy Gordon, executive director of protocol and special events, Office of External Relations, who organized the event along with Alice Powell, CMP, director of event operations, said she was hearing the same story from all of the people gathered in the Elm Ballrooms — 40 vendors and about 300 shoppers.
“This is a happy event. Everyone is excited to be here — the vendors as well as the students and the employees who get a chance to do some holiday shopping,” Gordon said. “There’s music playing, and it feels like we are kicking off the holiday season. Everyone is having a good time. It’s wonderful to be back together.”
Among the many items for sale were jewelry, customized note cards, soy wax candles, infused olive oils, herbal teas, soap dishes, cookies, and chocolate-covered pretzels. Many of the crafters were from the Baltimore area including Randy Dalnekoff of Columbia, Md. A returning vendor, he drew a crowd at his table, explaining how he crafted pens, bottle openers, keychains, and ice cream scoops from domestic and exotic hardwoods.
“I really enjoy doing the UMB Holiday Craft Fair,” said Dalnekoff, whose business card includes the tagline from tree to you. “It’s close to home, and it’s easy to come in and come out at this venue. I don’t do a lot of these craft shows, but I really enjoy the UMB fair. It’s just a nice event. And doing this is therapeutic to me, because when people get excited about what I build, I get excited, too.”
Several vendors were selling for the first time at UMB, and some were members of the University community. Deanna Kelly, PharmD, BCPP, a professor of psychiatry at UMSOM and acting director of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, fit both descriptions.
Kelly is a woodworker who creates charcuterie boards and serving platters made from upcycled trees in York, Pa. Kelly noted that proceeds from her sales support charities and mental health-related programs including Seizing Psych, a support group for individuals caring for people living with a serious mental illness.
At one point, UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, stopped by to admire Kelly’s work. “This is impressive. It’s beautiful stuff,” said Jarrell, who is an accomplished metalsmith and often marvels about the artistic talent displayed by University members in 1807, UMB’s art and literary journal.
Kelly was impressed with the craft fair, as well.
“This year with my staff, we’ve been doing a weekly talk about what you do outside of work,” she said. “It’s been really interesting to see that people have so many other talents in addition to what they do at work. I think the craft fair is a great opportunity to showcase these talents.”
Another member of the UMB community, Erica Davis, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, explained that her items involved medications because she is a pharmacist.
“I like to do a variety of mediums, so I have sprinkles, glitter, clay, yarn, and resin, which is the big one. I’ve encased pills in resin to make coasters, paperweights, statement pieces, bowls, all sorts of stuff,” said Davis, a clinical psychiatric pharmacist who is assigned to Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville, Md. “These are things that I wanted to make for myself, then as I showed them to my co-workers, they said, ‘Wow, this is really great!’ So I thought it might be fun to try and sell them a little more.
“This is my first craft fair with these items,” she added. “It’s been fun to see that people other than myself are interested. And it’s been fun to see people here. It’s been a long time.”
Charles Schelle contributed to this article.