Tidefest Arts & Crafts Fair is the biggest annual fundraiser for Gig Harbor High School, with over 150 local vendors and artists. It has been a tradition for over a decade, and it will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7, and Sunday, Dec. 8, this year. It raises money for the school’s athletic teams, clubs, and other school-related events such as the Senior Prom. Students are expected to participate in the fair either by volunteering as a vendor at their class, club, or sport’s booth or helping to set up and take down the stands. This is a big event that needs many volunteers!
The local vendors will be selling handmade crafts out of wood and clay, pottery pieces, different types of jewelry, as well as different forms of art. In addition, there will be condiments, preserves, and candies, such as hot sauces, jams, and caramels, sold at various booths. All the local artists offer authentic crafts, making this a perfect opportunity to do your Christmas shopping while also supporting the local community.
Additionally, the band and drama club will be performing multiple times throughout the weekend, bringing a joyful Christmas spirit to your shopping. You will see sneak peeks for the upcoming show “A Christmas Carol & Frozen Jr.” that airs the following week, including “Love is an Open Door,” “In Summer,” and “Let it Go.” Martha Schultz (11) from the drama club has performed duets at Tidefest for the past two years and is very excited for her third time this year. “It’s so much fun to showcase in front of the crowd, and I love being able to provide entertainment and background music,” said Schultz. Don’t miss out on the amazing performances!
There also will be a food court managed by the students, in case you get hungry while shopping. The freshmen will be selling pizza, the sophomores are in charge of selling hot dogs, the juniors are getting ready to sell gyros, and the seniors will offer drinks at the coffee stand. All the grades are saving up for their senior prom. The supervisor for the sophomore class, sports medicine, and girls golf, Jeffrey Millbourn, is preparing for the students to sell hot dogs and pretzels. In addition, the golf team is doing a miniature putt-putt golf course for the first time this year. It will help with raising funds for the team’s upcoming trip to a college showcase tournament in Hawaii. Tidefest makes important money for the athletic department, including trips, fees, uniforms, and so on. “It also gives snapshots of what the clubs do and how much participation and engagement is involved in it,” said Mr. Millbourn. He feels like it brings the school together during the stressful holiday season and creates unity and community within the school.
Junior class advisor Luther Cassidy loves seeing the students mature over the years and seeing how the class senators start taking more initiative as they get more confident and capable. “My favorite part is seeing the students get involved in everything. The musical performances are always a treat, and seeing students coming together to do all the work it takes to make TidesFest a great experience for shoppers and sellers alike gets me in the holiday spirit,” said Mr. Cassidy.
In addition to funding the school’s programs, certain clubs will be raising money for different organizations. The Interact Club is one of them, and they will be selling 156 pre-made cookie jars. The profits will be split between the Tacoma Rescue Mission, which feeds the homeless and has a children’s center, and the Etta Projects, which are focused on sanitation and education for communities in Bolivia. Last year the club profited with about $1400. “I like the idea that we are doing a service to great organizations,” Dan Brown, advisor for Interact, said. Make sure to buy a cookie jar to simplify your Christmas baking and help the people in need!
All the students are excited for Tidefest and have cherished memories from previous years. Josh Minner (10) believes that the festival promotes friendships and benefits the community by raising money for clubs and events. He remembers having a fun-filled time walking around and looking at all the shops and trying different samples. “I bought a hot sauce for Christmas for my dad,” said Minner. Helping out with the various booths is also a memory many students have. “With Tidefest in the past, I helped out with my ASL teacher, Ms. Thomas; I had to bake potatoes. That was really it, but this year since I’m in choir, we’ll be going around and caroling,” said Alison Born (11). She feels like Tidefest is a fun social gathering where you get to see all the wonderful creations that people have brought and is excited for this year’s event. Ryleigh Stapleton Long (10) likes that she gets to see her friends on the weekend, but when asked about what her favorite part about Tidefest is, she said, “Probably all the shops and the wide variety of food and people there.”
Whether you want to spice up your Christmas gifts with local arts and crafts or enjoy student-made foods and performances, Tidefest has something for you! All the students, staff, vendors, and artists have worked hard and put a lot of effort into making this event possible. Tidefest is something you don’t want to miss out on, so be sure to stop by and support the school and the local community!