Marketing effort

Holiday festivities are just warming up at the Jay County Fairgrounds.

The Cruis'n the HoliJay Lights at the Fairgrounds drive-through display began Nov. 17 and continues from 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday through Dec. 23 (with a bonus show Thursday, Dec. 21).

On Sunday, Dec. 10, visitors can walk through the lights display from 5 to 8 p.m. as part of Winterfest — a celebration organized by the Jay County Chamber of Commerce. The evening at the fairgrounds will include carriage rides and live reindeer, ornament and cookie decorating, crafting classes, a movie, hot cocoa and s’mores. 

Oh, and Santa Claus will be there as well.

But that’s not all.

Mistletoe Market will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, in the Marion and Irene Bubp Exhibition Hall, with more 25 booths selling decorations for inside and outside the home, candy, baked goods and all sorts of hand-crafted, customized or mass marketed gift ideas.

“You can absolutely do your Christmas shopping,” said fairgrounds manager Melissa Elliott. “I tried to get a range of vendors.”

There are two ways to get to Mistletoe Market: Go through the Holijay lights display and then park, or ask to be directed to market parking at the fairgrounds entrance. 

Admission to the fairgrounds is by free-will donation. There is no entrance fee for the market.

“Come out,” Elliott urged. “Check out the lights and enjoy the market.”

Elliott became fairgrounds manager in March. From the beginning, she has had hopes of expanding use of the facility.

“The possibilities are endless to use this grounds for more than just horse racing and one week a year,” she said.

The fair board seems to agree.

In addition to continuing collaborations with the chamber and other organizations, the board has been brainstorming its own ideas for events.

Lots of ideas.

“We dream big,” said Elliott.

Since this year’s fair, the grounds has played host to board-generated events for would-be princesses, collectors, Halloween fans and Jeep owners, to name a few.

Mistletoe Market is next on the list of new offerings.

John Hankins, who does custom laser engraving as Johnny Lazer from his Portland business, designed the graphics for the event and plans to set up at Mistletoe Market. 

“Most people know ... that we have an amazing fairgrounds,” Hankins said. “It’s really nice to see it being used.”

 Everything he will be selling at the market — hats, patches, apparel, drinkware and more — can be customized on site from his mobile workshop.

Or pick up Christmas stockings, scarves, aprons, placemats, sweatshirts or other décor and apparel from Nan Weesner at her Seamstress Nan booth. Weesner, who is in the process of opening a shop in Portland, also will personalize items with but will do so offsite after the event. She admits participating in the three-hour Mistletoe Market is something of an experiment but, like Hankins, she had a booth at the Jeep event and wanted to be part of Mistletoe Market.

“I think this fairgrounds is awesome,” she said. “I like the busyness of it.”

The events bring in revenue through donations, vendor fees and ticket sales for events requiring special preparation, but Elliott’s primary aim is to get people out to the fairgrounds.

“It benefits us because it helps us put money back into the fairgrounds, but it also just gets the community out here,” she said. “It’s a beautiful place.”