Every year, warm smiles and festive foods fill Westford Academy as the annual Holiday Bazaar is celebrated on the first weekend of December. This year, the bazaar is being held on Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it is being organized by the WA Student Council (STUCO). It will consist of numerous vendors set up at tables, who will sell a variety of products, ranging from foods to small giftable trinkets.
General admissions for the event will be $3.00, and children under the age of ten will have free admission. Tickets can be purchased at WA’s main entrance.
The vendors at the bazaar consist of small business owners selling items and WA organizations selling products which could be handmade or store bought to raise funds for their organizations. They will be offering their wares at tables lining the halls of WA.
According to sophomore Holiday Bazaar Co-Chair Elijah Jaz-Lynde, some vendors who attend the bazaar sell products at events like these as their full-time job, and many consider WA’s Holiday Bazaar to be their favorite event to work at.
The Holiday Bazaar is one of the largest fundraisers led by STUCO, and the majority of the funds raised from admissions into the bazaar help to finance other events organized by STUCO such as spirit week, and Fall Fling.
Not only does the Holiday Bazaar help fund numerous events here at WA, but it also helps clubs and organizations gain publicity. The exposure allows them to increase their membership and raise money for their own club-specific events.
However, this event doesn’t gain its popularity from vendors alone. There are many other aspects of the bazaar which help attract large crowds of people every year. For example, the WA band and choir will be performing an assortment of holiday music. On top of that, the international cafe, a collection of vendors from language-based clubs who make and sell food, will be set up in the cafeteria.
According to the bazaar’s co-chair assistant, sophomore Luana Rodriguez, the Holiday Bazaar is a chance for vendors to showcase their skills and abilities when it comes to making and selling products for their community.
“Everyone from town and nearby states, get together and show what each person can bring; like the vendors, lots of them [have] different crafts, like knitting [for example]” Rodriguez said.
Planning for this event began in September, and although all members of the Holiday Bazaar planning board were new to their position, including English teacher and Holiday Bazaar Chair and Coordinator Emily Coates, they all hope to hold a successful bazaar.
“I always have viewed it as a day where there’s a tremendous amount of energy that runs throughout Westford Academy, and it’s a showcase for students in terms of displaying their pride in the groups that they’re in, and just WA as their school,” Coates said. “It seems like the community has a lot of affinity for this event, and vendors love this holiday fair.”
Coates states that her main goal for this year’s bazaar is to help people and vendors feel good about their spot within the event, as they are trying to include as many vendors as possible.
