Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/414441
8 NOVEMBER 12-18, 2014 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Shopping for Christmas presents can be stressful. Trying to please so many dynamic individuals with different tastes who deserve amazing gifts can be overwhelming. Conveniently for Fort Bragg and the surrounding communities, the Yule Mart has provided the answer for this conundrum for the past 23 years. The Yule Mart is a gathering of vendors and a plethora of Christmas activities that make Christmas shopping easy and fun for everyone involved. The Yule Mart is organized and sponsored every year by the Association of Bragg Spouses - volunteers donate their time not only to create a fun weekend, but also to benefit their community. All of the proceeds from the Yule Mart are used for the AoBS Scholarship and Welfare Fund. Kristie Rigdon is the 2014 Yule Mart Chairperson. "I was on the board for the Association of Bragg Spouses in another position when they started looking for someone to take on Yule Mart," she said. "I have previous event planning experience and was excited to be able to use my experience to help raise money for the Fort Bragg community." Yule Mart is a fun experience for the whole family. For parents there are incredible vendors selling all manner of wares. It is impossible to leave without the perfect Christmas gift for at least one special person. This isn't your standard craft fair. To help ensure the high quality of handmade crafts, artwork and wares all of the vendors must be juried into the Yule Mart. For children, there are fun Christmas activities with Santa and Mrs. Clause. Santa's Secret Shop is a fun opportunity for young children to buy holiday gifts for their families. The items are donated and include gifts such as bath soaps, DVDs, photo frames and fishing gear. There is also the opportunity to create great memories asking Santa himself for the perfect Christmas gift. "There are a wonderful arrangement of homemade items from some very skilled vendors along with festive activities such as Santa's Secret Shop, pictures with Santa and Mrs. Clause's Bake Shop," Rigdon said. "Be sure to see it all, from the bake shop to every different vendor. They all bring something special that together makes Yule Mart not only possible but what it is today," she added. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Yule Mart this year is its growth. "I am most excited for the location this year and the opportunity it gives us to grow and raise more to give back to the community," Rigdon said, "We have moved off post to the Crown Arena. Along with that, we have more than 40 new vendors who have some amazing items that I can't wait for the attendees to see. " The Yule Mart takes place in the Crown Arena on Friday, Nov. 21 and Saturday, Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. It will also be open on Sunday, Nov. 23 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Crown Arena is located at 1960 Coliseum Dr. For more information visit www.fortbraggabs. org/#!about2/c1k35. Admission is $5. Yule Mart Makes Finding That Perfect Gift Easy BY ERINN CRIDER ERINN CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. The Fort Bragg Yule Mart has long been a Christmas tradition on Fort Bragg. This year, the craft show moves to the Crown Arena to welcome more vendors and to make access to the event easier for members of the community. Distance Learning programs available so you can learn online - anytime! Register now for these programs and more: Accounting Clerk • Administrative Assistant Certified Medical Auditor • Computer Technician Medical Inpatient & Outpatient Coding Optical Assistant • Physical Therapy Aide Working in the Pharmacy Classes Starting in December and January! Call or click today & ask about available scholarships! (910) 678-8446 www.LearnFTCC.com www.faytechcc.edu/continuing_education FTCC CONTINUING EDUCATION