The folks at St. Luke Simpson United Methodist Church think it’s time to get a little crafty. The church’s Country Club Arts & Craft Fair will be returning for its 30th year the second weekend in October. The event will take place 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8, and 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, inside the church gym, 1500 Country Club Road. Admission is free.

In the past 32 years, the craft fair has been cancelled only twice: In 2005, after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and in 2020 after Hurricane Laura and the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, over 35 vendors from Louisiana and Texas will have their wares on display.

“The uniqueness of our craft fair is that all items sold at the event are homemade,” said craft fair coordinator Laura Bowers, who also noted that this year’s fair will be a slightly scaled back version fromsome recent years. “We won’t have quite as many vendors because some have moved away or are still not back in their houses after Hurricane Laura.”

As Gov. John Bel Edwards has extended the statewide mask mandate until at least Oct. 27, face masks should be worn indoors by vendors and guests.

Shoppers are invited to bring their appetites as concessions will be served. Red beans and rice and barbecued brisket sandwiches will be available Friday and Boy Scout Troop1 will be serving barbecued hamburgers on Saturday. A bake sale “with delicious goodies” will take place both days, said Bowers.

In addition, the St. Luke-Simpson UMC pumpkin patch will be open for business on the church grounds from 10 a.m. to dusk each day of the craft fair.

If pumpkin shoppers can’t make it to the craft fair, they’ll have other opportunities to check out the pumpkin patch. It will be open Oct. 5- 31. Hours for the patch are 2 p.m. to dusk Monday-Fridays, 10 a.m. to dusk Saturdays and noon to dusk Sundays. Pumpkins of all sizes, including some unusual pumpkins and gourds will be available for sale. A photo background will be set up for picture-taking opportunities.

All proceeds from the craft fair and the pumpkin patch go to local, national, and international missions, said Bowers.