Farmers Market to host Volunteer’s Craft Fair

The Farmers Market at Firemen’s Park in McAllen is partnering with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to show support for its Master Clothing Volunteers and promote this group’s annual fall crafts festival.

The organization provides high quality, free, educational programs across Hidalgo County to local community organizations, giving skills to improve the quality of life and in some cases, skills their participants can use to improve the family income.

The Master Clothing volunteers teach classes in clothing construction and crafts. In addition to teaching approximately 500 participants each year, Master Clothing Volunteers, provide much needed items at the request of community organizations and nonprofits. They have made duffle bags for children in the foster care system, stuffed animals for children receiving cancer treatment, dog bandanas for Paws in the Park, and, recently, they made support pillows for veterans.

This year they made heart shaped keychains for a Heart Health Awareness event. The group’s November project is making organizers to attach to wheelchairs for residents of a local nursing home.

Another goal of the organization is to teach participants how to become an entrepreneur and establish a business for their crafts. This fall and holiday season, the Master Clothing Volunteers have partnered with the Farmers Market at Firemen’s Park in McAllen to sell their crafts beginning from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 2. They will have table runners, table mats and napkins, tote bags, shopping bags, seasonal decorative items and stuffed toys. This is a great opportunity to pick up some gifts and meet some of the award-winning program participants and learn about their programs and favorite projects.

This Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday under the park pavilion in Firemen’s Park, 201 N. 1st St., next to McAllen’s Town Lake. It is a traditional, year-round farmer’s market with grass fed meat, vegetables and fruits, herbs and microgreens, lemonades, gourmet mushrooms, jams and jellies, probiotics — including kombucha and vegan yogurt, baked goods, popcorn, indoor and landscape plants, and much more.

If you would like information on the Master Clothing Volunteer program, call the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service at (956) 383-1026. You can also check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AgriLifeExtensionFamilyResourcesHidalgoCounty.

Barbara Storz is a local horticulturist. You can follow her on Facebook.