KINGSPORT — The Seniors Center continued its Christmas market tradition this year with the Old Fashioned Christmas Fair at the Renaissance Center on Friday and Saturday.
The fair featured over 40 local artisans with handmade pottery, jewelry, baskets, soaps and more. Local woodturner Harold Pannell returned to the fair for his ninth year for his favorite part of the market: talking to visitors.
“I love meeting people,” Pannell said, standing at her table covered in wooden bows. “I love talking to people and promoting woodturning.
Kingsport-based Pannell has been creating wooden bowls, ornaments and more for over 40 years after his neighbor first taught him the craft. He has given many courses and offers private lessons.
It offers a range of woods from oak, elm and walnut to locust, and even a few varieties from other countries. But, he says, his bestsellers are his wooden ornaments, worthy of such Christmas fairs.
“People love it,” he said, referring to the ornaments. “I think I sell the most of these.”
The fair featured other local artisans such as Candy Alexander of High Ridge Basket, who was hard at work weaving a candle blanket on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Skyland Weavers showed visitors how to handloom in the center’s back room.
In one of the aisles, Scott Nash with Faces Within a Knot offered intricate rolling pins with gnarled faces carved into his stand. The Gate City carpenter is best known for his wild faces that turn rolling pins and ink pens into decorative items.
“People always say they’ve never seen rolling pins like this,” Nash said.
He also sold a collection of Christmas trinkets made from unusual items, such as Santa ornaments made from an old cedar door and another Christmas piece made from an old chair.