Booths still available at Stocking Stuffer

Booth space is still available for this year's Stocking Stuffer event, an annual fund raiser during the Homes for the Holidays tour in Fort Scott. Proceeds from the event benefit the Historic Preservation Association of Bourbon County.

This year's event will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3 at Arnold Arena at Fort Scott Community College, 2108 South Horton St. Admission to the Stocking Stuffer event is free.

Event co-chair Clara Schofield said, as of Monday, about half of the booth space for vendors is reserved.

"We'd like to have it full," Schofield said, "but right now, we're about halfway full."

Anyone wanting to rent booth space for the event can contact Schofield at (620) 223-6995. The cost of a 10 x 8 booth is $40.

Schofield said a wide variety of items will be available for purchase this year.

"So far, we have a lot of hand-knitted items," Schofield said. "We have all kinds of hand-sewn items. We have some folk art, wreaths, and jewelry. Also, there are some hand-painted Christmas type of items."

She added she is hoping to be able to make a wide range of antique items available for purchase.

A couple of other features of the Stocking Stuffer event will be the sale of consignment items and also drawings for particular items.

Schofield said anyone who wants to sell a small number of items, such as crafts or ornaments, can sell them as consignment items instead of renting an entire booth for their relatively small collection. She added that HPA would keep a certain percentage of the sale of those items.

Also, the recently published book, "Historic Reflections of Bourbon County", authored by local historians Fred Campbell Jr. and Don Miller, will be offered for sale at the event. The book includes more than 500 previously unpublished photographs that illustrate the county's history from 1842 to the present.

Another traditional feature of the annual event is the food. Along with a bake sale featuring cakes, cookies and other baked goods, the popular "Old Fort Barbecue" will also be available.

Miller said that for $6, visitors can get a meal of a barbecue brisket sandwich, baked beans and a bag of potato chips, as well as their choice of beverage. Proceeds from both food sales also go toward the HPA.

A couple of other venues for the holiday weekend are the Old Congregational Church, 502 S. National Ave., and the Fort Scott National Historic Site. Holiday music will be presented throughout the Homes for the Holidays tour weekend at the church and "A Christmas Ball" will be presented at the fort from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Tickets for the 27th annual Homes for the Holidays tour are currently available at Country Cupboard, 12 N. Main St.; at Ruddick's Furniture, 117 S. National Ave.; at City State Bank, 1012 U.S. Highway 69; and at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall St. Tickets will also be available during the tour at any of the tour stops. The ticket price is $8 per person. The homes will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the weekend.