Sixty years! That’s how long the Wye Parish Bazaar has been the local event that ushers in the holiday season. This year it’s once again in the Parish Hall and on the grounds of historic Old Wye Church on Route 662 in Wye Mills, on Saturday, November 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There is much to enjoy at the Bazaar! For those who want to get started with decorating, there’s the Christmas Shoppe filled with all sorts of decorations, many of them handmade by the ladies of the Church. There are winter blooming plants that make great gifts — amaryllis, Christmas cactus, paper whites. Trinkets and Treasures is where you’ll find jewelry and those special items. In the Handmades, shoppers will find, among other items, the wonderfully warm mittens that have been so popular for many years.
Some shoppers head straight for the Sweet & Savory Shoppe with its homemade cakes, cookies and pies. Available too, while they last, are unique items like brandied cranberries and real basted fruitcake, as well as an array of jams and jellies, bread-and-butter pickles, basil paste, and herbed olive oil,
New this year is the Emporium located under a big tent by the Church, where shoppers will find bargain-priced items of every variety, size, and use. Also outside the Parish Hall, in the Vestry House is the Christmas Book Cottage. Here, at 80% off, are “Good Enough to Give” books of all kinds for adults and children, as well as stories and picture books with a holiday theme, holiday cookbooks, puzzles, and “stocking-stuffers”.
The Bazaar Café is where friends meet friends and enjoy a refreshing lunch break. Known for their traditional specialties, the ladies of the Church serve up a variety of soups {vegetable crab, sausage and potato, Italian wedding) as well as their tasty Country Ham Biscuits. A gentleman of the Parish is responsible for dessert — homemade Smith Island cake.
At 11 a.m., the Wye Parish Town Crier will announce a short performance by the Queen Anne’s Chorale of Christmas music in Old Wye Church. Many visitors find that attending the Bazaar provides a good opportunity to get inside and learn about this historic Eastern Shore church that has been fully restored to its original 1721 condition. Tours of the Church will be offered throughout the morning.
The Bazaar is a fund-raising activity of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) of Wye Parish. The funds raised by this year’s 60th Anniversary Bazaar will be donated to three local charities: Haven Ministries, which provides food, shelter, clothing and resources to those facing poverty or hardship; Compass Regional Hospice, which provides end-of-life services and grief-support for patients and families; and Tides of Grace, which, through regular events of kindness and compassion, provides resources and support to those facing life’s toughest challenges.
For more information about the Bazaar please call the Church Office at 410-827-8484.
