Summer Sip & Shop for Saturday Club
Looking to spend a warm Saturday afternoon perusing homemade crafts, sipping on mimosas and raising funding for one of Vacaville's longest-operating institutions?
The Saturday Club of Vacaville, in conjunction with Uptown Fox Events, will host the first Summer Sip & Shop Craft & Gift Fair June 18.
Incoming Saturday Club President Brooke Fox, whose mother and grandmother had also served as president, said the goal is to raise awareness of the 113-year-old club, which has a clubhouse on Kendal Street.
“I grew up in this venue,” she said. “What always strikes me about this venue is that a lot of people in Vacaville don't even know that it exists and they don't know what the mission is and they don't know much about it.”
The Saturday Club is a women's organization founded in 1909 with the goal of promoting the arts in Vacaville. Now consisting of more than 50 members, the club hosts monthly luncheons with local entertainers, awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors interested in pursuing the arts, hosts Gaslighters Melodrama performances at Fiesta Days and also provides opportunities for scheduled bus trips to places such as Union Square in San Francisco and Graton Casino in Rohnert Park.
The club, on Kendal Street, can be rented out for private events such as weddings or birthdays.
“The idea is to bring more people into the club so they can see the clubhouse and to also provide an opportunity for our small-business vendor community to get out there and sell their goods,” Fox said.
The event also serves as a launching point for Fox's newest venture, Uptown
Fox. A longtime Vacaville resident — save for a 16-year stint in New York — who served for five years as executive director of the Downtown Vacaville Business Improvement District until her departure in March, Fox is no stranger to the community or to putting on events. Her new company places an emphasis on both community and events.
“The mission of the company is to work with different organizations in our community and to plan special events that make a difference in our community and to work with businesses to help them grow and prosper,” she said.
The craft fair will feature more than 30 local vendors selling handmade items outside the clubhouse. The event will also feature local artists such as Saturday Club member Nancy Schlesinger, who paints artwork on decommissioned saw blades.
“(There's) some really unique items that you can't find other places,” Fox said.
Additionally, the first 200 guests ages 21 or older who show ID will receive a complimentary mimosa they can drink while touring the clubhouse or looking at crafts. The event will feature an hourly drawing with items created by the vendors.
Coupled with the Vintage Market taking place at St. Paul's Methodist Church at the same time, Fox hopes the craft fair will provide a fun Saturday afternoon activity for attendees.
“They can visit both locations in one,” she said.
Fox also hopes it will provide an opportunity for people to learn about the Saturday Club. All proceeds from vendor sales will benefit the club.
The fair will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 18 at 125 W. Kendal St. Admission is free.
For more information, visit Uptownfox.com/ events, email Brooke@uptownfox.com or call 917586-4064.