Get into the holiday spirit with fun for the whole family at the seventh annual Christmas at Kraybill Craft Fair and Celebration. The event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kraybill Mennonite School, 598 Kraybill Church Road, Mount Joy.

"The craft fair is a festive and fun community event that helps support local artisans and crafters along with raising funds for special programs at Kraybill," said Trish Hopper, Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF) volunteer and Christmas event coordinator. "This event features local artisans, crafters and vendors selling handmade items such as jewelry, quilts, ornaments and home decor, along with local honey, children's toys and books."

New this year, a student maker's market will feature Kraybill students and their handmade goods.

"Kraybill will have a baked goods stand featuring home-baked items and our special gingerbread cookie decorating kits complete with a bakery-made 6-inch gingerbread man cookie, icing and a variety of sprinkles and candy decorations," Hopper explained. "These kits are a favorite item every year, and both individual cookie kits and family packs of four cookies will be available."

Horse-drawn wagon rides are also popular, Hopper said.

"The Clydesdale-drawn wagon rides are a highlight of the event with Christmas carols playing on the wagon," she stated. "The wagon rides are sponsored by Advantage Edge Equine Nutrition and are free for attendees. Donations are being accepted with proceeds to benefit Kraybill's PTF programs."

At noon, there will be a free showing of the movie, "The Grinch," to help entertain younger guests.

Friendly competition will also be part of the festivities.

"We will also be holding our fourth annual chili and brisket cook-off," Hopper said, noting that the cook-off idea came from several parents at the school. "Gene Wenger's Meats & Fine Foods of Elizabethtown donates over 100 pounds of brisket that is then cooked by the competitors. This competition is for home chefs and is very popular. Prizes are awarded to the first-place winners of the cook-off for best chili and best brisket."

The deadline for contestants to enter is Friday, Nov. 14. Tastings will be open to the public starting at 11 a.m. on Nov. 22 and will be offered until sold out. Voting will end at 12:30 p.m. so that winners can be announced at 1 p.m. at the event.

Along with offering fun for Kraybill families and the wider community, the celebration raises money for school programs.

"This is the main fundraiser for Kraybill's PTF committee, which supports special educational and extracurricular events at the school, including roller skating nights for students, family picnics and special acts of appreciation for our teachers and staffs," Hopper said. "A highlight of the PTF's programs includes the addition of an after-school chess club and drama club. The PTF also recently handcrafted a new reading tree in the school library, which provides seating and highlights new books for students."

Kraybill's concession stand is a special fundraiser that supports a seventh- and eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C. Items available at the stand will include pulled pork and macaroni and cheese from Alpha Bravo Catering, as well as chicken corn soup from Gene Wenger's Meats & Fine Foods, along with other food, snacks and drinks. Noel's Cafe food truck will sell specialty coffees and other beverages.

Christmas at Kraybill provides the school with a way to interact with the community, Hopper said.

"Kraybill values our whole community. This event allows current and past families along with our broader community an opportunity to fellowship together while supporting local artisans and businesses," she commented. "Attendees enjoy the festive atmosphere and great variety of vendors that we have each year at the craft fair. It's a great place to do some Christmas shopping."

More information about the event, including how to enter the cook-off and preorder gingerbread cookie kits, may be found by searching for "Christmas at Kraybill" on Facebook.