CONCORD, NH ??“ One of New Hampshire’s most popular summertime events is the Annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair, which takes place August 6-14 at Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, NH. More than 35,000 people attend this prestigious craft fair, which is the oldest and one of the largest craft fairs in the country. The Fair has more than 200 booths featuring contemporary and traditional handcrafts made by state-juried members of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. Virtually every type of craft medium, including handcrafted furniture, jewelry, glass, pottery, prints, metalwork, fiber arts, woodcarvings, weaving, sculptures, and leatherwork, is on display and may be purchased.

The Mount Sunapee Resort, located in the beautiful Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee region of New Hampshire, is the setting for the Fair. Visitors enter a fairground of white tents that contain a wide variety of craft booths, as well as craft demonstrations and workshops. The resort’s two base lodges house museum-quality craft exhibitions, including an outdoor Sculpture Garden.

There are activities for visitors of all ages and levels of interest in craft. Visitors can speak with the craftspeople in their booths about their particular medium, tour the creative, museum-style exhibitions, and participate in demonstrations and workshops on the traditional methods of making fine handcrafts. Rug braiding, papermaking, glass blowing, woodcarving, and furniture building ??“ these are just some of the craftmaking skills that will be on display. These demonstrations and workshops are given by state-juried members of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, as well as invited guests from the New Hampshire Potters Guild, the New Hampshire Woodworkers Guild, the New Hampshire Woodcarvers Guild, the New Hampshire Art Association, the New Hampshire Shaker Museum, the Canterbury Shaker Village, and the New Hampshire Farm Museum.

The creativity of the craftspeople is showcased in a unique manner at the Living With Craft and CraftWear exhibitions. The Living With Craft Exhibition features beautifully decorated room vignette settings furnished entirely with handcrafted furniture and decorative room accessories. The CraftWear Exhibition features unique “art-to-wear” clothing, jewelry, shoes, scarves, handbags, belts, sweaters, ties, and more. There is also an Outdoor Sculpture Garden that features bubbling fountains, whimsical bird feeders, outdoor furnishings, and both large and small landscape sculpture. The Fair also features performances by high-caliber country, bluegrass, Latin, folk, jazz, and blues musicians and performers. All performances take place in the Performing Arts Tent and are included in the admission price to the Fair

Fair Information

The 72nd Annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fair will be open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, rain or shine, from August 6-14. General admission ticket prices include admission to all exhibitions and demonstrations, as well as a second day free return to the Fair. General admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, and children 12 and under are free. A $6 rate is also available for groups of 20 or more. Parking is free and childcare is available on site at a nominal fee. Picnic areas, as well as a food tent, indoor cafeterias, and an outdoor Garden Caf?В© (serving adult beverages) are open daily. No pets are permitted on the fairgrounds or left in cars in the parking lots.

The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen is a non-profit, craft education organization. Its mission is to encourage, nurture and promote the creation, use and preservation of fine contemporary and traditional craft through the inspiration and education of artists and the broader community. For more information about the Fair, or the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, call 603-224-3375, email [email]nhleague@nhcrafts.org[/email], or visit the League’s website at www.nhcrafts.org.