Winterfair: If you're looking for creative, crafty gifts galore, hit up annual event at Ohio Expo Center

Craft fairs are everywhere this time of year, but few can compete with the grandaddy of them all, Winterfair, which is entering its 45th year.

After a virtual fair last year, the reorganized event will return to a live format with slightly fewer booths — about 375, as opposed to the usual 425 — and a lot more space.

“We're setting it up now so there will be four booths in a quad, all facing out. So they will all be corner booths, and there will be a lot of space between the quads,” said Kim Nagorski, executive director of Ohio Designer Craftsmen, who present the event.

Winterfair is geared toward holiday shopping, with plenty of functional as well as decorative pieces, and a range of prices. Artists will be arriving from both inside and outside Ohio, some new and some Winterfair regulars.

Food products will also be available at the Gourmet Marketplace in the building.

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Where to shop at Winterfair

Adreanne's from Bloomington, Indiana, will be selling figgy pudding and whiskey cake, Michael's Artisan Chocolates from Bexley will be selling jewel-like confections, and Sweet Thing Gourmet, also of Bexley, will be offering exotic jams.

Potential buyers who want to get a head start, can check out links to the artists on the Winterfair website.

Holiday ornaments and cards abound, as do larger pieces in clay, wood or mixed media.

Fiber arts range from wall pieces to items for everyday use, such as potholders, scarves, hats and face masks.

Some of the most intriguing fabric pieces are designed by Scotty Jones of Kokomo, Indiana. Jones, 58, makes handbags and wallets out of fabric he has screenprinted with collages of images from the '50s and '60s.

“I'm a fiber artist, a digital artist and a collector. My work all stems from those three things,” he said.

“I make what I like to call functional pop art. I collect photos of people I don't know, from antique shops and flea markets, 1950s and '60s ephemera. I put them all together in a digital collage, and add elements, and change them around, and add color. And then I turn some of them into silk-screens, and print the images on muslin, and pair them with fabric that I print myself.”

Jones will offer handbags large and small, cross-body bags, clutches and wallets at Winterfair.

Family connections in businesses at Winterfair

Jewelry is also popular at the show. Returning this year will be Martha Ponn of Newark and her granddaughter, Kylie Ponn, who share a studio in Columbus. Martha has been a part of Winterfair for more than 20 years.

“It's always been a family business,” said Kylie, 25, speaking from her home in Grandview Heights.

“I started helping with the business when I was 7 years old. I'd be in the booth, and people would be handing me their credit cards. We have a solid customer base at Winterfair, and sometimes people will come up to me and say, You can't be the same girl! You've grown up in front of our eyes!”

Pendants, rings, earrings and more will be available at the fair.

“We design and hand-make everything,” Kylie said. “We get together and brainstorm new ideas together. We use sterling silver, 14-karat gold, semiprecious stones, beads and pearls.”

Though they cut back the number of shows they participate in every year, they always keep Winterfair on the schedule.

“It feels like home,” Kylie said. “We'll see people we know, and it's a special time for everyone. It's a special show, and it's even more special to be able to do it with my grandma.”

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What to know about Winterfair

Winterfair will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 3 and 4, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 5, in the Bricker Building at the Ohio Expo Center, Interstate 71 and East 17th Avenue.

Masks are highly encouraged. Admission: $7, or free for children 12 and younger; free re-admission. For more information, visit winterfair.org.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Winter Fair offers unique seasonal gifts