Artisan craft fair at Elks 411: 'We're trying to re-brand ourselves, a bit'

Jim Bissett, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
·2 min read

May 17—Herewith, a quiz on all things artsy and creative:

What's the first venue you might think of, as a logical, infrastructure host for an artisan craft fair ?

We'll wait.

Oh, you have an answer ? Good.

Let it be known, for the record, that Vickie Trickett's feelings won't be hurt one bit if you didn't say Elks Lodge 411.

That was the whole point.

"We're trying to re-brand ourselves a bit, " said Trickett, the Esteemed Leading Knight of the lodge perched at 1138 Chestnut Ridge Road.

"We just want people to know that we're still here for the community and that we don't just do one thing, " said Trickett, who also had a 30-year career as an event-planner at WVU and is now doing the same for the local lodge.

Today, the lodge is here for community people who occasionally use unlikely materials to make things that are lasting and beautiful.

The Artisan and Craft Fair will be from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the lodge. It's a showcase for creators and a place for shoppers who trend toward the unique in their purchases, Trickett said.

Make that, unique and local, she said.

"There's a thriving arts scene right here in Morgantown, " Trickett said.

"We're thrilled to be able to provide a platform, " she continued. "We already started with an eclectic line-up of vendors, and we just had a last-minute surge of new arrivals. That's always exciting."

Be ready to browse handcrafted jewelry, custom-created home d écor and all artisan points between, she said.

Visit https://bpoelks411.org /craft-fair.html for the roll call of artisans and their signature products.

Patriotism and the educational advancement of young people are two longtime signatures of the local lodge, Trickett said.

June 14 is Flag Day, and on Flag Day, the lodge on Chestnut Ridge Road is prime, patriotic real estate.

That's where veterans and local scouting groups gather to participate in a reverent and sanctioned burning ritual—which is always enacted to properly retire any tattered flag of the Stars and Stripes from service.

Look for the lodge to also rekindle its Student of the Month program, Trickett said, which will honor top seniors from Monongalia County's three public high schools, along with Preston High next door.

In recent years, Elks Lodge 411 has also contributed more than $2 million to a variety of community outreach efforts across the Morgantown area, according to its website.

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