This week on the podcast, I had the chance to sit down with a former teacher of mine to chat about one of my favorite events of the year. (This was a weird sentence to type.)
I had the absolute pleasure of having Luan Thomas-Brunkhorst of the Long Prairie Chamber of Commerce on The Small Town Tourist Podcast to chat about the Long Prairie Art & Craft Show and Sell, an event that has taken place the Saturday after Thanksgiving for over three decades. This event brings over 150 craft vendors to the town to show and sell their goods in the gym and commons area of the high school.
This event is very near and dear to my heart. I remember being a little kid, all bundled up in my snow gear and going to the high school to shop with my mom and grandma that Saturday after Thanksgiving. Walking in to the school, smelling the fresh kettle corn being popped outside, buying all sorts of fun trinkets, it was always such a treat. Some of my must-purchase items were always a new pair of fleece mittens, flavored honey sticks, and new jewelry pieces.
As an adult, I had the privilege of being a vendor at the event for a few years with my dog bandana business, Minnesota Mutt Co. It was always my favorite event to be a vendor at because I knew that I would know 90% of the people walking by my booth, and I loved getting to see the hometown crowd right at the start of the holidays. There was even one year where the row I was set up on also included two of my high school classmates selling the good they created as well. It was a real testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of the class of 2014!
This year, I will not be spending my Black Friday setting up my booth in the gym to be a vendor on Small Business Saturday, because I sold my business, but I do have the honor of returning to the event as a patron, getting to see all the amazing things that the creators are there to sell!
The energy of this event really can’t be beat. Everyone is in a good mood to kick off the holiday season, you get to shop from small vendors and support the art they create, and it’s just so wonderful to see familiar faces gathering and sharing smiles and hugs.
Check out more on the event on this week’s episode of The Small Town Tourist:
The Small Town Tourist 
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