By TOM LAVIS

TLAVIS@TRIBDEM.COM

Finding unusual Christmas gifts for those you love is something of an art, so what better place to find that perfect gift than at an arts center?

Christmas comes but once a year, and the Community Arts Center of Cambria County, Westmont, is conducting its 37th rendition of the ever-popular Holly Bazaar.

The bazaar offers one-stop shopping for people who are searching for handcrafted decorations and gifts that bring out the best for the holidays.

The Holly Bazaar and third Festival of the Snowmen, which is held in conjunction with the bazaar, will fill every room of the Goldhaber-Fend Fine Arts Center.

Both events will begin Saturday at the center, 1217 Menoher Blvd. The Festival of the Snowmen will be on display through Dec. 17. The Holly Bazaar will be open through Dec. 24.

As many as 30 volunteers are busy applying the finishing touches and gearing up for the center’s holiday fundraiser.

The bazaar offers handcrafted items from area artisans, and it has a sound reputation for featuring one-of-a-kind holiday items.

Rose Mary Hagadus, arts center executive director, anticipates a jolly holiday season.

“We keep our eye on trends and try to offer unique items that people can’t get anywhere else,” Hagadus said. “People are seeking traditional Christmas decorations that harken back to an era when things were less hectic.”

About 100 juried craftsmen whose merchandise will be displayed will offer wreaths, holiday decorations, handcrafted gifts, jewelry, pottery, Santas, angels, over-sized quilted handbags, bath and body products and holiday candy.

Decorative painter Molly McCabe of Allison Park, Allegheny County, has been bringing her works to the bazaar for nearly eight years.

“I’m a true recycler,” she said during the first of two visits to the arts center to display her wares. “I go to garage sales and flea markets during the summer and collect items to paint.”

Many of those objects, such as old aluminum coffee pots, wooden salt and pepper shakers, spindles and wooden lamp bases, are transformed into inviting and charming decorations.

One of her creations involved taking a double coffee pot and converting it into a delightful snowman, which carries a price tag of $48.

“My items range in price from $6 to $80,” she said. “This year, I brought a lot of girlie items, such as decorative boxes and perfume bottles.”

Melinda Baker of Westmont, a volunteer and arts center member since 1991, said people return each year to find special items for those hard-to-buy-for-people on their shopping lists.

“My entire family is coming to Johnstown for Christmas, and I’m buying many of their presents at the bazaar because of their uniqueness,” Baker said.

The snowmen festival will feature 10 originally designed figures dressed in a variety of outfits.

Instead of placing a price on each snowman, the arts center has set a minimum price, and each creation will be sold by silent auction.

The snowmen will be on display until Dec. 17.

Snowmen are decorated in various themes, including gardening and golf. One is painted on a full-size door for either indoor or outdoor display.

Making a return for a third season is the “Go Steelers” snowman created by Beverly Ramsdell of Carrolltown.

“The Steelers snowman is one of the most popular bidding items,” Hagadus said.

The bazaar is a juried event, so a strict standard must be met.

“Everything is handcrafted,” Hagadus said.

Craftsmen from Cambria, Somerset, Indiana, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties offer everything from dried flowers and decorated painted woods to Santas and fabric crafts.

The second floor also will be the site of the center’s basket party.

The center’s volunteers have created a variety of baskets that would make cherished gifts.

“We will have as many as 85 baskets, which are valued from between $40 and $200,” Hagadus said.

A $5 donation allows patrons to use any or all the 25 tickets they receive to try to win a basket.

A popular segment of the bazaar continues to be its book-sale bonanza.

Shoppers can save from 20 percent to 80 percent on new books, which make wonderful gifts.

Bazaar and festival hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.



Yule love this

What: Holly Bazaar and Festival of the Snowmen.

Where: Community Arts Center of Cambria County, 1217 Menoher Blvd., Westmont.

When: Both begin Saturday. Festival of the Snowmen runs through Dec. 17; Holly Bazaar through Dec. 24.

Hours: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Admission: Free.