Fair trade group hosting craft festival in State College

STATE COLLEGE — Ten Thousand Villages is hosting a craft festival and rug event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, through Friday, Nov. 10, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at University Mennonite Church, 1606 Norma St.

The international group seeks to provide low-income artists around the world with fair trade prices for their work.

Started in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages has generated $140 million for artisans who would have otherwise been unemployed or underemployed. 

The festival lands in State College just a week after the end of Fair Trade Month, celebrated during October in the United States. Parking can be found around the church and the indoors event will go on rain or shine, said Joel Weidner, board chairman and treasurer of central Pennsylvania’s Ten Thousand Villages organization.

State College’s festival will include linens, jewelry, hand carved wooden utensils, colorful woven baskets, ornaments and artisan soap. Weidner said the items will represent crafts from South America, Africa and Asia. In addition to the staples, this festival will also have the added bonus of including handmade rugs from Pakistan.

The rugs are made by the Pakistani company Bunyaad, which also vows to pay its artists a fair wage. The rugs are colorful, with bold reds and bright blues interwoven with more mellow yellows and greens.

“Not every Ten Thousand Villages event has rugs,” communications manager Becca Stamp said, so this is a rare chance for Centre County residents to get their hands on one.

“You see this beautiful, handmade rug, but it’s crazy to think about what had to happen to get it here. We’re committed to the process because those relationships mean consistent income,” Stamp said.

The relationships she’s referring to are with about 100 groups around the world, which Ten Thousand Villages partners with to find their goods. Stamp said a buying team searches for the next big thing, focusing on the traditional skills of artists from different countries. The goods are then transported by freight ships.

Price ranges are tough to nail down, Stamp said. Some customers leave with a $6 carved rock, while others might leave with a $250 handmade rug. Availability and preferences of those organizing the event both play a factor in the selection, but Stamp said the lineup for State College won’t disappoint.

Ten Thousand Villages has more than 50 stores nationwide and State College may soon have its own. Ten Thousand Villages of Central PA is raising money to open one and Stamp said they’re hoping the event helps raise some money to do it. Weidner said the group needs $100,000 in capital to meet the Ten Thousand Villages standards for opening a store. Right now, he said they have about $30,000, but are hopeful if they can reach $50,000 they’ll be able to secure a matching contribution from Ten Thousand Villages. “If things go really well, we could be open by next July,” he said.

People who wish to know more about the company and event can visit tenthousandvillagescentralpa.org/festival.