At 239 Woburn St. in Reading…
The Kris Kringle Fair will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2023, from 9 to 2 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading, 239 Woburn St., Reading, MA. Sales will take place indoors as well as under the tent. Booths include Jewelry, Attic Treasures, Toys and Kids Books, Silent Auction, Potpourri (new items), Boutique (handmade items), Raffle, Live Music, Baked Goods, Country Store, Snack Bar and a new room for Refugee Support. All spaces are handicap accessible.
The Silent Auction will be on app.bidbeacon.com this year. Use the code YYY2BJ to find the Kris Kringle Fair Silent Auction 2023. All items will be on display during the fair. Bidding will open at noon on November 12 and close at 3 p.m. on November 18. Pick up your winnings on November 19 between 11 am and 2 pm.
This year’s Raffle items are a $200 Amazon gift card, $100 worth of lottery tickets, a basket of gift cards to local restaurants, LEGO sets, and a beautiful patchwork quilt designed and made by the UUCR Quilters. This year’s quilt is “Our Tree of Helping Hands.” Inspired by the Children’s Affirmation recited each week, “We are the Church of the Open Mind, the Loving Heart, and the Helping Hands,” the quilt is dedicated to the memory of beloved Director of Religious Education, Sally Liebermann. The quilt features “leaves” made from the handprints of 135 different members of the UUCR community.
Come at 9 to enjoy fresh-baked scones from the Snack Bar while they last, or come at lunchtime to enjoy homemade chili, either with meat or vegan, and many other treats. All of the Snack Bar offerings are nut-free.
The space for Refugee Support includes two different offerings. The Refugee Community Alliance: Ukrainian Support Project will be selling 2-inch metal snowflake ornaments. They will come with a gift card indicating that a donation to the Ukrainian Support Project has been made in honor of the recipient. The USP is raising money to be able to bring a refugee family from Ukraine to safety in the Boston area. They will be sharing a room at the fair with Crafts by Arifa.
Arifa, with her husband and six children, was hastily evacuated from Afghanistan by the US government in August of 2021 as a result of the Taliban takeover. Her husband was employed by the US government in Kabul at the time, putting the family in grave danger. They left everything behind, arriving with only what they could bring in a few suitcases. Her husband currently works at Target but this is insufficient to support a family of 8 and Arifa is eager to also contribute to the household.
Arifa was unable to attend school in Afghanistan but learned how to sew as a young girl and has continued to develop her skills here in the US. She creates wonderful household goods and accessories such as placemats, pillow shams, napkins, purses, table runners, and eyeglass cases. Her hope is to help support her family and see her children grow into successful members of the community.
The Kris Kringle Fair is the church’s biggest fellowship event and fundraiser of the year. When the fair comes around each fall, everyone at UUCR organizes, donates, bakes, cooks, sings, plays music, greets, staffs tables, or shops—working side by side to make this daylong fair a much-anticipated and -enjoyed event for the church, for Reading, and for surrounding communities.
UUCR is led by the Reverend Dr. Laura Solomon. Church services and Religious Education classes are held in person on Sunday mornings at 10 am. Services are also broadcast on YouTube. All are welcome.
For more information about the Kris Kringle Fair, and a photo of the raffle quilt, go to https://uureading.org/donate/kris-kringle-fair/
