Fair Bulletin - TENTPOLES August 8, 2026

Saturday August 8th

Daily Fair updates will be emailed to all participants and juried members AND posted on our website on the page linked below. They are often posted before this email is sent, so bookmark the page and check back regularly!

nhcrafts.org/Fair-Updates

Emergency Contacts

Event Manager Karina Jonas: 603-496-5239

Executive Director Kate Saunders: 603-520-6000

First Aid station is located beside the Fair Office, at the corner of Spruce Lodge.

Craftsmen's Coffee Lounge is located in the Competition Center building, to the right of the Exhibition Tent. Please clean up after yourself there, and remember that we have many people to serve, so please do not fill up a thermos. Open Daily 9-2pm.Thank you for your understanding.

If you have any issues with wifi, please bring it to the attention of the Fair Office so that we may have our onsite tech support visit you.

From Olga:

I was a spectacular failure at piano lessons as a child. After that, I never touched another musical instrument.

Then, in 2019, I came to the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fair as my husband Michael Updike's booth assistant. Every morning and evening, Michael would blow the horn to open and close the fair. It looked like so much fun that I decided I wanted in!

Michael surprised me with my very own horn—a small clay beauty made by longtime fair artist Shana Brautigam. Since then, I've proudly joined the horn blowers.

Find the horn that suits your personality, and you just might join the team.

Dr. Olga Karasik-Updike

From Alex:

Alex Kalish reflects on the story behind making his first horn and his connection with longtime League juror Gordon Keeler, a woodturner and leather craftsman. When Alex met Gordon in the 1990s, Gordon was one of the League’s longest-serving jury members.

Alex’s own horn came about somewhat by accident while he was shaping a wine glass—the piece became too hot, and in the process transformed into something entirely unexpected.

That discovery eventually led Alex to join Gordon in the longstanding tradition of opening the Fair with the sound of the horn. What began as a connection with Gordon has now become a tradition Alex carries forward each year.

Today, he helps coordinate the many craftsmen who join him on the deck, as well as those who sound their own horns outside their tents, creating a an unusual chorus across the Fairgrounds as visitors arrive each morning.

Alex is especially proud that his horn is “on key”— with that of a dying moose.

IMPORTANT FAIR CLOSING REMINDER

As we head into our final day, we want to share an important reminder about Sunday’s Fair closing and move-out procedures.

A full set of closing and move-out instructions will be shared tomorrow, Saturday, with all booth holders. In the meantime, please plan accordingly:

All booth holders must remain open through the close of the Fair at 5:00 PM on Sunday, August 9. Booth breakdown and removal may begin after 5:00 PM. All work must be completed that evening. No booth contents or displays may be left after Sunday.

We appreciate everyone's help in making the closing process safe, organized, and efficient for all of our makers and our Fair team.

LOAD OUT REMINDERS:

All booth holders are required to load out the evening of
August 9

No vehicles will be allowed on the property until League staff has ensured the grounds are cleared and opens the gates. This will be at about 5:30 PM - but you must wait for staff to give the signal.

There is no more overnight security the night of August 9

The Spruce Lodge bathrooms will be locked at 8 PM Sunday night but the here will still be port a pottys on the property

Make sure you have work lights to help you during your load out, as needed

Make sure you have water - it will be warm

Please enter at the gate indicated on the map for your tent, just as you did for load in.(See below)

Traffic is ONE WAY ONLY - you should NOT be exiting through the same spot you enter. You will be asked to turn back

You are required to break down your booth completely BEFORE you drive on the property

You may only have ONE vehicle on the property at any time

Dumpsters/trash receptacles are available on the property for you to take care of any accumulated trash

Please be sure to clean out your space thoroughly - including zip ties, etc which should not be left on the ground

Your KINDNESS, PATIENCE, CONSIDERATION and ASSISTANCE to OTHERS will be essential in keeping the process safe and as efficient.
A load out map is shown below

RETURNING BADGES

We will have badge return receptacles available at the Fair Office, Art, Craft & Design Exhibition area, demo tents, The Shop at the Fair and Info Tent. Gate collection spots will be removed after 5 PM

Tent captains will also be able to take badges at the time you pass your sales form to them as well

We will be sorting and counting badges when we are back at HQ

IF YOU ARE PICKING UP FROM THE SHOP AT THE FAIR

You are required to wait until 5 PM on Sunday before you pack up.

NEW: Once packed, you may drive your vehicle behind Spruce Lodge. This is as close as you will be able to drive to TSATF. You must carry to your car here. As soon as your car is packed, please drive off to allow another person to drive in.

You may NOT park behind Spruce Lodge while packing. Please be mindful of how many cars are behind Spruce Lodge as space is limited.

Please contact Su Eagan if you are sending someone else to collect your work - you can text her or email hooksett@nhcrafts.org

IF YOU HAVE WORK IN ACD that you need to collect

Customers who purchased an exhibition piece will be allowed to pick up starting at 3 PM

Exhibitors picking up work that did not sell must wait to pick up until after 5 PM

You MUST sign out your work when you pick it up, just as you did at drop off

If you are collecting work for another person, please ask them to contact Heather Cimini via fairexhibitions@nhcrafts.org in advance to make the process faster

IF YOU ARE LEAVING WORK FOR THE LEAGUE GALLERIES

We have a MIBOX storage trailer located at the end of Spruce Lodge nearest to Tent 8.

We mark areas for each gallery within the MIBOX

The MIBOX will be open from 5 to 7 PM on Sunday evening ONLY for you to drop off work.

We have limited consignment forms available in the Fair Office. We will make some additional copies of the form which will be a single sheet. Those could be used to mark a box, and the gallery manager can then send you a copy of the information.

Managers are picking up after 7 PM on Sunday evening

Volunteer Assistance

On Saturday 8/8 we are light on tent volunteers. Please remember to turn in the Volunteer Request form found in your booth packet if you know that you will need support. We do our best to prioritize these requests on the days when we do not have as many people available. Thank you to everyone for being supportive of their booth neighbors on days like this. You make the system work!

SAFETY NOTICE

Please do not put any broken glass into the trash bins. Sunapee staff has had shards sticking through the bags on more than one day, and staff changing out the bags just avoided being cut. We ask that any broken glass go into a box placed on top of a trash receptacle OR directly into the dumpster at the back of Spruce Lodge. Thank you!

FAIR WANT ADS

FOR SALE

Getting down to selling off more glass equipment (kilns, flat lap, tile saw), sheet glass (COE 90 fusible and dichroic), molds of all sizes, frit/powders and oh, so much more. Too much to list and you would probably want to see what is available in person. If interested, contact Deb Libby, (603) 724-8375 or sgiglass@comcast.net

Free square contactless reader and dock.

Still works fine . Just upgraded mine to next generation.

Stop by booth 526

Mary Ann Geis

For sale:

Fifty sheets of 8 ply acid-free rag matboard. White, but not a bright white, smooth finish. Purchased from Parson’s Paper Co. in Holyoke MA when they closed. Current retail price for 8 ply matboard is $50 per sheet. Will sell for $25 per sheet. In packages of ten, still wrapped. I can send a sample. Ann Eldridge 603-290-4878 cell/text. Booth #403 at the Fair.

Dan Dustin in booth 630 - He Is looking for those plastic thingies with the rings that you have to yank off the milk (etc) cartons the first time you open them. Drop these off at Booth #630 - thank you!