The holiday season is a time for spending time with friends, listening to music, eating a smorgasbord of delicious food, shopping for holiday gifts and visiting Santa with your children and grandchildren.

All these activities and more are happening the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., at the Lopez Preschool Annual Holiday Bazaar in the Lopez School gymnasium. A featured event for over the last 30 years, the bazaar offers a variety of thoughtful, finely made local gifts, delicious food, photos with Santa and a raffle featuring over 40 fabulous prizes.

“The bazaar is the main fundraiser for the co-operative preschool”, says Preschool President Candace Downey. All proceeds go toward operating costs, providing scholarships to families in need and classroom enrichment activities and materials. Many studies have shown that quality preschool significantly improves student performance in the formal education system. Lopez is fortunate to have such a program affordable for all islanders. Preschool is the first step in setting students up for educational success.

Every bazaar vendor donates a significant portion of proceeds to the preschool. All funds raised by the raffle and food sales go directly to the preschool. There will be over 60 vendors at the bazaar offering amazing homemade goods, local products and fine arts and crafts. The event will have something that suits everyone’s fancy. On top of that, the festive atmosphere can put even The Grinch in a holiday mood. Volunteers set up and bedeck the gym in jolly and bright decorations. Live entertainment is provided by Doug Poole, Chris Aiken and Kevin Sullivan.

Raffle prizes include on- and off-island overnight stays, gift baskets of local food and gifts, passes to Teatro Zinzani, the Experience Music project, the Woodland Park Zoo and the Whale Museum, massages, facials, hair styling, an oil change, dog grooming, dental care and gift certificates to numerous local and off-island businesses. This year’s gift certificates feature John Howe steakhouse, Paper Scissors on the Rock, Ivar’s restaurant, 10 yards of topsoil, the South End General Store and many, many more. Raffle tickets may be purchased at the Lopez Village Market most weekends and from any parent with a child in preschool. You can also buy raffle tickets at the bazaar.

Come support the Lopez co-operative preschool and your local businesses!