KINGSTON - The Kingston Winter Bazaar was held Dec. 1 at the Kingston Community Hall from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and attracted people from Austin, Kingston and all over Smoky Valley.
"It was a fantastic community event," said Bradley Ward, the main event organizer who sits on the Kingston Parks Department but will be leaving at the end of the year to focus on working with the Kingston Volunteer Fire Department and Lander County EMS. "A good time was had by both the vendors and the attendees."
The event, which was hosted by the Kingston Parks Department, raised $1,000 for the department. The department is a new nonprofit organization with 11 volunteer members. The money raised from the bazaar will go toward split rail fencing for Lee Baker Park, automatic irrigation and additional trees and grass, said Ward.
So far, the fence area has been leveled and the irrigation plans have been completed. The parks department is going to work with the department of corrections to install the fence after the ground thaws, said Ward.
This was the first parks department bazaar but Ward said he is hoping to make it an annual event.
There were around 12 vendors from Kingston and Austin that sold custom jewelry, western art, clothing, gift baskets, gourmet food and drinks and framed and unframed photography.
Around 50 people attended the event. Ward said he felt the attendance may have been impacted by a competing event held in Round Mountain.
There was a general raffle with donated items as well as vendor items and a separate gun raffle for a Ruger 10-22 stainless rifle with synthetic stock, a custom Ruger gun case, a Ruger 25-round magazine and a box of .22 long rifle bullets collectively valued at more than $350. Chris Center, of Kingston, won the gun raffle.
Tickets for the general raffle could be purchased at the event and tickets for the gun raffle were available in advance at Zach's Lucky Spur Saloon in Kingston and the Kingston Creek Lodge.
Round Mountain Gold Corporation donated $250 worth of merchandise from their general store in Hadley to go toward the raffle. It also donated a limited edition gold and silver coin that was won by Bernice Sagrillo, of Kingston.
"We had a lot of great stuff in the raffle and then each vendor donated something," Ward said.
The parks department hosted a pancake breakfast and a lunch. In addition to pancakes, the breakfast featured eggs, sausage, orange juice and coffee for $7.
The lunch was served at noon and featured New England clam chowder, western chili, sweet corn bread and French bread for $5 and hotdogs and chips for $4. Cocktails, beer, wine, soda and water were sold throughout the day.
Those who are interested in joining the parks department can contact Director John Miles at (775) 964-1046 or Assistant Director Bob Sossa at (775) 964-1301. No landscaping experience is required, said Ward. The parks department may soon be getting a $4,000 donation, he added.
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