Fostoria's Holiday Sip & Shop slated for Dec. 6

As a big fan of the holidays, Crystal Laird already had her eyes on the Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Sip & Shop when she became its director during the summer. Now, with the Dec. 6 holiday shopping extravaganza drawing near, she has plans in place and is looking forward to seeing the event take place between 10 a.m., and 5 p.m., at the Fostoria Learning Center, 342 Perry St. "It's been great, following up on what was established years ago," she said of the Sip & Shop, which debuted in 2019. "It's just an event that people are so excited about already; it makes it easy to get the word out there. (Spots for) vendors sold out almost within a week of announcing that it was returning. And we have shoppers who are excited as well to come in and get their Christmas shopping done." If the past carries into this year, shoppers at any given time may find themselves shoulder-to-shoulder with others or waiting their turn to enter a room or check out the goods at a particular vendor's table. "We have nearly 50 vendors this year," Laird said. "We have OTR Smokehouse coming to provide food. We will have our holiday festive drinks available as well. We are adding a photo-shoot backdrop this year. "We're expecting over 800 attendees. We're looking forward to opening the doors to Fostoria and area residents for a fun-filled way to kick off the holiday shopping season." Laird said shoppers will find items such as handmade gifts, holiday decor, jewelry, candles, foodstuffs available for purchase. She said some of the vending faces will be familiar, while others may not be. "Some of our farmers'-market vendors will be there," she said. "There also will be many who we haven't seen at the farmers' markets." Laird said putting together this year's event was made easier by her predecessors in the position. "There's a great template that was left for me to follow along with," she said. "I have many years of event-planning experience as well. But the template that was left for me to follow along with has been instrumental in planning this year's event. The creation of an event is typically the hardest part, but this event has seen many successful years and it's one that's really easy to duplicate and I think it's a great one that the community looks forward to." Laird said she's excited to see how the day turns out as people gravitate both to the Sip & Shop and the annual Fostoria Rotary Christmas Parade. The parade is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m., start. "I think it's a great way to get out and really kick off December and kick off the Christmas season," she said. "You can see Santa in the holiday parade and do some shopping; you're already out and about, whether you do the parade first and come shopping or you come shopping and then see the parade." She added that she's happy for the opportunity the event provides to local business people and individuals selling their wares. "Those community dollars, when you shop local, stay in Fostoria," she said. "When you shop small, you're not just buying a gift. You're fueling a dream, supporting a family and strengthening our community."