By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
There’s still plenty of time until Christmas, but it’s not too early to do some holiday shopping during the Sugarplum Festival at the Albrecht Kemper.
For over 40 years the art museum has welcomed in several vendors that offer unique gifts, crafts, and goods for residents to buy ahead of the holidays.
Marketing and Communications Manager Madison McKinley says the event is a fun collaboration of local businesses and small businesses
“Working together artists and crafters and they all come together, and they sell all their goods for the weekend,” McKinley says on the KFEQmunnity show. “You get to come, shop in the galleries, and have food, drinks, it’s just a really festive time, gets you in the spirit for Christmas, and is a good place to get Christmas gifts.”
Executive Director Eric Fuson says what’s made the festival go for more than 40 years is it’s ability to get people into the Christmas spirit
“I know it’s on the early side, early November it’s before Thanksgiving, but for anybody that loves Christmas it’s just so fun, everybody really gets into it,” Fuson explains. “We take down every piece of artwork in the main part of the gallery upstairs and down to get ready for this, we decorate up, all the vendors that come in bring in unique gifts, there are a lot of one of a kind things you’re not going to find anywhere else.”
Fuson says you’ll find gifts during the festival that you won’t be able to find anywhere else
“You know we’ll have over 30 vendors, so there will be lots to choose from, and it is early enough that technically you’re not buying a Christmas gift if you buy something for yourself either,” Fuson says. “It’s early enough you can still buy something without anybody saying anything.”
The festival runs November 7th and 8th. A preview party will be held on the 6th and tickets can be purchased for $40 dollars.
Second Harvest will also hold a food drive during the festival collecting food for local families in need.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.