Crafters Kim Whitt and Rosemarie Kelliher get festive at the St John the Evangelist Christmas fair. More than 150 vendors will offer wares at the Carmichael school campus during the weekend of Dec. 4, 5 and 6. Photo by Susan Maxwell Skinner

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) – St. John the Evangelist School’s blowout, “A Holiday Show of Hands,” will ensure a crafty Christmas for thousands of shoppers on Dec. 4, 5 and 6.

Now in its 48th year, the market annually fills the entire Locust Avenue campus with up to 5,000 visitors. Proceeds benefit the Catholic school.

Entrepreneurism annually soars during the fundraiser, where more than 150 vendors offer wares. From funky sweaters to metal sculptures and glittering ornaments, most items are one-off and crafted by hand. A preview (5 to 9 p.m.) on Dec. 4 requires a $10 donation. A $5 donation is requested on Saturday; Sunday browsing is free.

Doors open at 9 a.m. on both weekend days and customers will be entered in a $100 gift card draw. Silent auctions will offer hundreds of items.

Santa and Mother Claus visit on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The fair’s gourmet pavilion has this year been enlarged to include more food vendors.

“Dec. is a cold month, so hot toddies and Sister Margaret’s famous Irish coffee will take the chill off,” promises co-organizer Amy Swanson.

Swanson takes the reins from her late mother, Pat Holbus, who founded and ran the fair for 47 years. In the tradition of her passion for cooking, home-made meals will be available for sit-down or carry-out customers throughout the event. Boulevard Coffee will host an expresso bar.

St. John the Evangelist School is located at 5701 Locust Ave. Because fair traffic clogs surrounding streets, free shuttles will run from Carmichael Elks Lodge on Cypress Avenue to St John’s Church.

“People come here from all over Sacramento, even from out of state,” attested the late Pat Holbus. “Our market has become a Sacramento tradition. It’s a weekend that says Christmas is here at last.”

For information, call (916) 481-8845 x1. Or visit www.holidayshowofhands.com.