The Standard-Examiner hosted the Holiday Fair in the Shepherd Union Building Ballrooms Saturday where community members set up about 70 booths to sell crafts and homemade food.

“It’s a fun one,” said Jennifer Thorpe, the special events coordinator for the Standard-Examiner. “We wanted to do something around the holidays.”

This is the third year that the Standard-Examiner has hosted this event. It collaborated with the Utah State University Extension Service. The fair was also held back in the ’80s and ’90s, but was discontinued because it was too expensive.

The fair also featured demonstrations on how to make Christmastime food and crafts, such as fudge and wreaths. People in the community put on each demonstration.

The Standard-Examiner also holds events like the Just for Her Women’s Fair and the Battle of the Bands.

“We like to keep it local,” Thorpe said. “Attendees get to walk away with some good recipes.”

Jennifer Leseberg was selling handmade jewelry at the fair. She said she started making jewelry when she would change out the hooks of the earrings she bought with nicer ones.

“I also wanted something unique that no one else had,” Leseberg said.

After that, she said, she realized she could just make her own jewelry and starting giving her homemade jewelry to friends as presents, and then she started selling it.

Leseberg has a business with her mother, who makes homemade crafts like bags. Leseberg said each piece of jewelry and each bag is unique.

Not all of the vendors were selling merchandise. Mark and Georgi Danner were giving away balloon animals outside the ballrooms. Mark Danner started making balloon animals 18 years ago when his son wanted someone to make them for him.

“We just like making kids smile,” Georgi said. “It’s a way to get everyone to smile.”

The Danners said they also go to the farmer’s market in Salt Lake City and work at parties. Mark said it is a hobby business, but they are trying to develop it.

Carole Sobrio was selling personalized Christmas ornaments. She gets the ornaments from online companies and then personalizes them with writing. Sobrio said she is no longer going to be selling ornaments, because it takes too much time. She was selling her ornaments for cheaper at the fair because she wanted to get rid of them.

Jennalyn Lower was selling baked goods with Creative Cakes, a company she and her mother run. Lower said she learned how to cook by taking classes at Joann’s and teaching herself how to cook.

“‘Cake Boss’ was my role model,” she joked. “He made me want to be doing this.”

She said they decided to sell their food at the Holiday Fair because it is the cheapest place to advertise, and it also gets the word out about their business.

“I came to see what products people are selling and then go home and look on their website,” said Debra Schultz, an attendee at the event.

Schultz, an online marketing consultant, said she was also there to network with people.

“I like to support stuff like this,” said Janet Tueller, who also went to the fair. “I want to see it continue.”