St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is preparing for its annual Advent Fair, to be held this year from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2. The Fair features gifts, crafts, food, and holiday cheer for people of all ages, with all proceeds benefiting the work and ministries of the church. 

A highlight of the Advent Fair is always the gorgeous gift baskets, prepared by parish volunteers and suitable for every occasion, budget, and recipient from family members to office pals to your favorite bus driver. This year’s basket themes include Barbie, cookie decorating, wine and beer, and spa day, among others. 

The Fair also features multiple tables of handmade crafts, lovingly constructed, sewed, painted, or assembled by volunteers throughout the year. The crafts table includes dozens of different types of ornaments to trim your holiday tree, as well as fabric goods, home décor, and small decorated Christmas trees. 

Food is always a popular item at the Advent Fair. The Country Kitchen features homemade marinara sauce, breads, cakes, and baked goods. The Cookie Walk offers handmade holiday cookies for gifting or munching, sold by the pound. The Cheese Table will include Manchego, nutty Swiss, and several varieties of Vermont cheddar. Jan Blake’s famous baked beans will also be for sale.

The silent auction features one-of-a-kind artwork, concert and theatre tickets, the viral-sensation “dinosaur chicken nugget pillows,” and much more. This year, the vintage jewelry table is back, featuring gently used earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and other bling.

This year’s raffle prize is a gift card bonanza: shoppers can enter to win a collection of gift certificates from dozens of terrific local restaurants and other businesses.

The Outreach committee table will feature beautiful Haitian gifts to benefit the parish’s mission partners in Leogane, including hammered metal art, Haitian coffee, and hand-painted scarves. Cards from Heifer International will also be available. 

The Fair also features gently used white elephants, including holiday décor and children’s items. The Snack Bar will be open for breakfast and lunch. 

St. Paul’s is a fully-accessible church located at 100 Pine Hill Rd. in Bedford. For more information, please phone the church office Tuesdays through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 781-275-8262, or visit www.stpaulsbedford.org.