Holiday arts and crafts in new venue for Milton Holly Festival

The Holly Festival in Milton this year will be a little different for me. In times past, I was stationed at the Milton Fire Hall, but after 30 or more years of my cozy nest downstairs next to the doors and the water cooler, directing friends, neighbors and patrons, I will be exhibiting at H.O. Brittingham Elementary School on Mulberry Street. The other school venue for the festival is Milton Elementary, the school I attended for all 12 years, through graduation in 1966! I also was a youngster in kindergarten in that school building when there was one. I tossed and turned at nap time on my mat while other children slept.

I am creating a painting of the Milton Elementary building, done in our old school colors of maroon and gold. My Class of 1966 was one of the last classes to graduate from there before it became part of the Cape Henlopen School District.

I fondly remember the fire hall. The firemen would throw open the bay doors to us crafters even before dawn's early light. A small statue of the department mascot, Old Megee, stands guard outside the building. It was bracingly chilly for a few minutes, but it woke us all up after a night of readying ourselves into the wee hours like Santa's elves.

The MFD Ladies Auxiliary revived the tired and hungry artisans with a cart loaded with Sussex County scrapple sandwiches – slices of scrapple on white bread, garnished with ketchup and wrapped in tin foil. Steaming-hot coffee in styrofoam cups felt warm in our cold hands, mine covered still in paint from the night before.

This is a new year, however, and things have changed. Sherry Wyatt of Saltwater Roots Events has saved us all by agreeing to take over the event this year. 

The Holly Festival Craft Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13, this year at three venues: Milton Elementary School on Federal Street, H.O. Brittingham School on Mulberry Street, and the Milton library. There were at first 75 vendors, but I believe the number has grown far above that!

There will also be handmade holly wreaths, which are much in demand and fashioned by the Milton Garden Club, on display downtown near the Milton Historical Society. Club members come to my house every early December and harvest magnolia leaves and holly from my trees. Also, there is a house tour throughout the town in the afternoon.

To learn about all of the sights and sounds of the holiday season in Milton, email info@miltonchamberde.org or go to facebook.com/MiltonDelawareChamber. Dine at the local restaurants and take in all the sights and sounds of the holiday season!

Also, come and visit me at H.O. Brittingham Elementary School on Mulberry Street. I will offer my popular holiday pins to adorn your winter coat lapel, pin on your hat, or thread a hook through their opening to hang on your Christmas tree as an ornament. My hand-painted papier-mâché reindeer will grace your mantel, as will my jewelry-encrusted wooden Christmas tree. They are so involved I can only make about one per year! It is the ultimate treat for your holiday table.

Very kind "secret Santas" drop bags of costume jewelry at my door all year long to help me with these creations. I will also feature my paintings of local scenes and much more from my wild imagination, along with my popular mermaid cut-outs and paintings.

So stop by and visit me at my holiday table in a different building this year. I look forward to greeting you!