ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
The heart of autumn has arrived, and with Halloween now in the past, the holiday season is now upon the area.
In addition to local businesses, shoppers can also take advantage of events such as craft fairs to purchase presents for friends and family, and for the last decade in the town of Meade has hosted an annual craft fair to help people find gifts for everyone on their list.
Saturday, Nov. 14, Meade County Craft Fair is back for its 10th annual edition, and organizer Tasha Kisner said this year’s event has been temporarily moved from its usual home at the Meade County Fairgrounds.
“We swapped buildings this year only due to some construction,” she said. “The building we usually use is under remodel. It will be amazing once it’s complete, but we swapped buildings.”
This year’s craft fair will be at Meade’s Forst Center at 416 W. Carthage Street, and Kisner said those who come can visit with vendors inside and outside the building.
“We’re serving breakfast and lunch,” she said. “It’s a free event.”
Typically, proceeds from the craft fair benefit local people and organizations, and Kisner said something different for this year is the proceeds will target both younger and older organizations.
“We have some young vendors that are coming in not only from our hometown, but in town as well,” she said. “We’re going to do a cake walk. I’m going to start that this year. Every year, I’ll find a group of kids it’ll benefit.”
Kisner said funding this year will go to beef projects in Meade County schools.
“They get real beef brought into the school for lunches and breakfasts,” she said. “We’re going to give the money from the cake walk to that. We have people in our town who have donated over 40 different baked goods. That’ll be super fun.”
Kisner said getting to the craft fair’s 10th edition has been a shorter journey than she expected when she started the event.
“It’s so crazy 10 years has gone by so fast in life and in the show,” she said. “It’s definitely gone fast.”
Kisner said she and craft fair volunteers and vendors have learned much over the years as the show has grown.
“We’ve got our kinks more or less worked out, and we’re ready for it,” she said. “We always get excited. We always want to know what the weather’s going to be like. Is it going to be nice and beautiful outside? We’ve had both. It’s windy and cold, and the pumpkins are freezing outside. I always excited to see what the weather’s like.”
Should weather elements present problems, Kisner said she is prepared for that contingency.
“We have some tents for outside,” she said. “It’s a lot of food trucks and trailers. We have a lady from our hometown who does homemade donuts. She has a trailer, and she’s going to do that. Some people in town do homemade popcorn, and they have a big outside setup. Everybody who’s outside is exactly where they have to be.”
The same day Kisner puts on her craft fair, a Lutheran church in Meade also hosts a show, and Kisner said this is how organizers of both events planned for the day.
“We work together and do one the same day,” she said. “They as well serve breakfast and lunch. They are homemade candies and fruits in jar, canned goods.”
Kisner said excitement for the Meade County Craft Fair starts building months in advance of the show.
“People will call,” she said. “They’ll text me or message me. It’ll be three months out, and they’ll be asking, ‘Are we having the craft show this year? What are you doing this year for the event? What is the theme?’ We are always planning ahead. We have people who, as soon as the show’s over, they reserve a spot for the following year.”
The craft fair also typically takes place the third weekend of November, but with construction happening at the fairgrounds, the event was moved to the second weekend.
“There’s a little hiccup with some construction work,” Kisner said. “We’re so excited about it. We can’t complain about that. It’s going to be beautiful once it’s done. It is definitely a regular event.”
For lovers of both autumn and the holidays, Kisner said the craft fair has a mixture of everything for everyone.
“Right when you walk in the door, the food smells phenomenal, and everybody wants to eat and start shopping for Christmas,” she said.
For vendors looking to take part in the show, Kisner said she still has a few spots open.
“I’m always looking for a unique vendor, something new and interesting,” she said. “A spot is open if anybody wants to come.”
Vendors can message Kisner on Facebook as well as the Meade County Craft Fair Facebook page, and they can call her at 620-655-7823. She can also be reached via e-mail at
With this being the craft fair’s 10th anniversary, Kisner said her excitement is even higher for this year.
“I stopped and thought about it,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, and it’s been 10 years. It’s so hard to believe we’re having our 10-year anniversary right now. I’m blown away honestly.”
Kisner said she is looking forward to seeing everyone Nov. 14 in Meade.
“If they have questions, they’re more than welcome to shoot us an e-mail, or they can call at anytime,” she said.
