‘Extravaganza’ starts today; Christmas craft fair will feature more than 100 vendors, is a ‘handmade-only show’

Now is the perfect time to get a running start on your holiday shopping at the 35th Annual Hilo Christmas Extravaganza Craft Fair.

Prime time for high-quality, handmade holiday treasures are from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium.

“Supporting our local artists and small businesses is essential for keeping Hawaii’s economy and creative spirit alive,” said Kim Sasaki, the event’s promoter. “When you shop at events like the Hilo Christmas Extravaganza, you’re not just buying a gift — you’re investing in the people and stories that make our community unique.”

While the fair has always been popular — 5,500 shoppers attended last year alone — the event has taken on a whole new significance since the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to Sasaki.

“Since the pandemic, there’s been just a different small-business buying experience,” she said. “There are just so many more people who make and sell things and have small businesses and side hustles. There’s just a lot more variety and a lot more pop-up small businesses. And so the buyers are also in this ‘buy handmade,’ ‘buy small’ or ‘buy local’ mode. And I think this happened during the pandemic, when we couldn’t get things from the outside. So, every year, it’s just been steadily growing.”

This year’s extravaganza features more than 100 vendors with a wide range of unique, one-of-a-kind gifts, including jewelry, Hawaiian clothing brands, hand-sewn crafts and more.

“One of our vendors does table-top decorated Christmas trees. You can get football-themed trees, like the Raiders,” she said. “We have a guy who does gyotaku, Japanese fish printing. He has artwork that you can frame and hang. He also does aloha prints like hats and towels with his gyotaku print. There are people who come to buy gyotaku T-shirts for their fishing dads, because that’s the only kind of T-shirt they’ll wear.”

While the table-top trees are artificial, the Hawaii Forest Institute is there as well, selling small, live Christmas trees.

“They’re first-time vendors this year,” Sasaki said.

According to Sasaki, about 90% of the 100-plus vendors doing business at the fair last year were owned by women. That includes the one California vendor who has proven to be a draw for customers for years.

“She has a product called Muscle Mist. People wait all year to stock up with her,” Sasaki said. “It’s actually a product that was developed for people with neuropathy. It’s a spray that helps with aches and pains, stiffness in your fingers and your joints.”

Other crafters and artists include: Waiholouli Garden, Aloha Sweet Aloha, Beads &Things by Kori, Magnolia Moon Soap, It’s about Time, Misty’s Thread Studio, Living Hula, Wehi’s Boutique, Hilo Bay Soap &Candle, and Napua‘ala.

One won’t have to shop with an empty stomach, either, as there will be a plethora of food trucks dishing up gastronomic delights including tacos, shrimp, smoked meats, poi balls and malasadas.

Admission at the door is $3, cash only. Keiki under 12 are admitted free.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift, a holiday keepsake, or just a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit, the Hilo Christmas Extravaganza Craft Fair has something for everyone.

“I think the coolest thing and the thing we’re proudest of is that ours is a handmade-only show, and that’s the requirement for getting in to our show,” Sasaki said. “We’re not doing any resale. You can’t just buy your stuff from Temu and sell it with us.”

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.