For 18 years, several student-run mini businesses at Hempfield High School (HHS) participated in the annual Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 holiday student bazaar. However, HHS staff realized that, because there were student-run mini businesses in classrooms throughout the Hempfield School District, they had enough classrooms to host a district-wide holiday craft show. After getting permission from the special education department, the inaugural Hempfield Holiday Shoppe was held in 2016, and elementary students were able to sell their handcrafted items beside high-schoolers.

HHS special education teacher Kristie Beatty noted that the craft show started in the board room at the district's administrative building, but it quickly outgrew the space. "It attracts more and more people every year," said Beatty. Like in 2019, the sixth annual Hempfield Holiday Shoppe will be held in the Franklin Gym of the HHS, 200 Stanley Ave., Landisville. The student craft show will be open to the public on Friday, Dec. 3. from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Most of the Hempfield School District classrooms run craft businesses. For instance, senior Daniel Haldeman is a member of the Hempfield Magnet Makers. Daniel explained that he and his fellow members cut patterned fabric into a circle, glue glass on top of the fabric, and then glue a magnet on the opposite side of the fabric. There are several themed magnets, such as animals, sports teams, Christmas, and patriotic. New this year are the wooden magnets. At the craft show, people will be able to purchase individual magnets, or they can mix and match six magnets to put in a holiday tin can.

"People should attend to support everybody ... all the businesses," said Daniel. "It's nice to see everyone."

Beatty's classroom runs The Grind, which distributes coffee, tea, orange juice, and muffins to staff at the high school and in the administrative building every Friday. At the Hempfield Holiday Shoppe, students from Beatty's classroom will sell tea, coffee, and orange juice, as well as doughnuts and muffins for breakfast, and then for lunch, they will serve hot dogs and chips. At their other table, students with The Grind will sell their hand-painted mugs, which contain recipes and ingredients to snowman soup, an Oreo mug cake, and tea.

A total of 14 businesses will be featured - including one that will be represented virtually - in the student craft show. There will also be a complimentary gift-wrapping table for anything purchased at the craft show. Proceeds from the Hempfield Holiday Shoppe will go to the classrooms and will be used to buy supplies, take special trips, go on community-based instructional outings, and more.

"There are a lot of real-life skills that they learn through operating a mini business, so inviting the public in and having an event like this just allows us to showcase all those skills that the kids have learned," stated Beatty.

Only cash will be accepted at the craft show. For more information, email communications@hempfieldsd.org.