The Vineyard Artisan Festivals will display the Island’s best homemade goods at their annual Thanksgiving festival next week.

Tables displaying scallop shell wreaths, knitted sweaters, ceramic sculptures, painting, woodwork, textiles, homemade jams, goat milk soap and more will line the Agriculture Hall on Nov. 29 to 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The Artisan Festivals are a staple of summer at the Grange Hall, but in the offseason the Thanksgiving and December holiday shows at the Agricultural Hall shine.

Andrea Rogers, the show manager for the festival, stressed the uniqueness of the holiday festival, with over 50 local artisans represented.

Entering the mind of Rocco Vitelli. — Jeanna Shepard

“We have a very different show, it’s like none other,” Ms. Rogers said. “People are there in their booth and they can explain how they made [their goods]. So when people buy a gift for somebody for the holidays, it’s really made here, coming from people that live here, earn their living here, and I think that makes it very special.”

The Vineyard Artisans Festival is approaching its 30th anniversary, and Ms. Rogers said many of the artisans have been participating since the start. She said it has been a pleasure to see how the work has evolved over time.

“For 30 years, the ceramics have changed, and they have evolved, and they have become more intricate with the times,” Ms. Rogers said.

New this year is Patrick McHugh’s booth featuring his whimsical children’s books. Mr. McHugh will read from Mudwig the Grape Adventure which tells the story of a lighthouse going dark and how a purple pig saves the day.

Also fun for kids, Ms. Rogers said, is cartoonist Rocco Vitelli who will be selling his self-designed boxed puzzles, many of which depict Vineyard scenes. Richard and Carol Tripp create colorful clothing made directly from sheep’s wool they have been shearing, spinning and dying for the past 50 years.

There will also be snacks available for purchase from Sweet Bites catering.

Ms. Rogers said it is important to support Island artisans, especially during the holiday season. Buying locally-made goods helps to preserve the Island’s artistic culture, which Ms. Rogers said is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s been a struggle all these years, but we’ve stayed and we’ve persevered, and I think it paid off because people do come to see us and they love the work,” Ms. Rogers said.

For more information, visit vineyardartisans.com.