The Annual League of NH Craftsmen’s Fair is the oldest, continuously running craft fair in the US. The first Annual Craftsmen’s Fair in 1933 (one year after the League was founded) was held in a barn at the Crawford House in Crawford Notch. There were demonstrations of pottery, weaving, vegetable dyeing, basketmaking and woodcarving in the barn. The blacksmith shop was used for ironworking. The horse stalls were used for exhibitions and sales, and the lawn was used for entertainment and chorus singing of old songs and country dancing. Sales totaled $2,698 and it was deemed a great success.

Over the years, the Fair was held in different venues and the number of attendees continued to grow. The focus and intent of the Fair was always constant – to provide its juried members with an opportunity to showcase their fine handcraft and to educate the public about the value and artistry of handmade craft.

Currently approximately 35,000 people attend this prestigious craft fair, which is held at the Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, located in the beautiful Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee region of New Hampshire. At the base of the mountain, there is a fairground of white tents with beautifully appointed craft booths, where visitors can speak with individual craftspeople, learn about their craft, and purchase from them. Contemporary and traditional fine handcraft in virtually every type of craft medium, including furniture, jewelry, glass, pottery, prints, metalwork, fiber arts, woodcarvings, weaving, sculptures, and leatherwork, are on display. These handcrafted items represent the fine skill and creativity of more than 350 juried members of the League of NH Craftsmen.

There are daily demonstrations and workshops for all ages on the traditional methods of making fine handcraft. Glass blowing, blacksmithing, woodcarving, and furniture building – these are just some of the craftmaking skills that will be on display. These demonstrations and workshops are given by juried members of the League of NH Craftsmen, as well as invited guests from the New Hampshire Potters Guild, the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers, the New Hampshire Woodcarvers Guild, the New Hampshire Art Association, the New Hampshire Shaker Museum, the Canterbury Shaker Village, and the New Hampshire Farm Museum.

According to fairsandfestivals.net. Source of photos: internet