Harvest Moon Fair

Our Annual Harvest Moon Fair

The Harvest Moon Fair is First Parish Arlington’s annual cafe and marketplace fundraiser held the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  It is one of our biggest community-building events, bringing in volunteers of all ages and even a few non-members.

Any questions or queries about the Fair can be sent to fair@firstparish.info.

Dates

  • Fair Day: Saturday before Thanksgiving
  • Sanctuary Setup: Thursday before the Fair
  • Donation Drop Off: Sunday-Friday the week before Fair Day
  • Sorting and Setup: Sunday-Friday the week before Fair Day, especially Thursday and Friday evenings.

Volunteers can sign up on-line or during coffee hour in November

Booths

Quilt Raffle

Though there is no guarantee in any given year that we’ll have a quilt to raffle, First Parish quilters have come through year after year.

Sundays in November and all day during the Fair, raffle tickets can be purchased.  You can buy as many as you want and ballot stuffing is highly encouraged.

Household Finds

This is the largest of the booths selling a wide variety of household goods, especially kitchen wares.  While it typically has the largest number of items, a lot of things are left unsold.

Toybox

The Toybox typically boasts a huge number of games and toys and we often get kids as booth helpers.

Holly Shoppe

Christmas items of all kinds, with the occasional dancing Santa Claus.

Jewelry Box

The Jewelry Box sells rings, earrings, necklaces and a wide assortment of other beauty and decorative items.  Donations can usually be taken well in advance of the usual drop off times.

Blue Table

Our quirkiest booth, the Blue Table collects only blue items for sale.  By far the most gorgeous table at the Fair.

Book Nook

Usually housed in the Parlor, the Book Nook sells hundreds of books every year.  Left overs are donated to More Than Words so donate as much as you can.

Reboots and Rewinds (Electronics)

Our electronics booth takes computers, stereos, and peripherals.  Computers are wiped clean; login credentials must be supplied

TUCK BOX

Brand new, unopened items culled from the donations. Huge bargains you’ll see nowhere else.

Art Gallery

Pictures, frames, and even original artwork graces the Art Gallery, usually set up outside the parlor.

Greenery

Plants, plants, and more plants!  Also gardening items, baskets, and vases.

Buttery

Our baked goods table is very popular.  Everything sells every year, so, bake, bake bake.
All items must be individually wrapped with an ingredients list included. Whole pies are very popular.

Interested in Donating?

Interested in donating items for the Fair? Check here for what you can and cannot donate for each booth:

Household Finds

Yes, please

Clean, complete, working, usable items
Daily glassware and dishes, pottery
Kitchen utensils
Bakeware
Cookware
Gadgets
Small appliances

No, thank you

Opened packages (paper plates, pens, cups, nails, etc)
Chipped items
Appliances over 10 years old
Scratched dinnerware or pots
Teacups, saucers
China
Grandma’s stemware
Plastic water bottles
Logo mugs and glasses
Plain glass vases
Furniture
Tupperware, plastic storage bins
Photo albums
Clothing
Rugs
Textiles like pillows, napkins, tablecloths, sheets
Office organizers or miscellaneous office supplies
Toiletries
Health and beauty items like hair brushes, razors, hair appliances (curlers, blow dryers, straighteners)

Toybox

Yes, please

games
puzzles
trucks
cars
things with wheels
blocks and building toys
toddler toys
dolls
kids’ musical instruments
arts and crafts supplies in great condition
stuffed animals in great condition

No, thank you

baby equipment
bike helmets
used crayons
dried out markers
half used packs of paper
china dolls
baby/childrens’ clothing
greeting cards
games without boxes
antique toys
china toy tea sets
boxes of random collections of plastic things
anything that is more than gently used

Holly Shoppe

Yes, please

decorations
ornaments
garlands
wreaths
candle holders
nativities
greeting cards
tree skirts
stockings
holiday china in good condition
holiday tablecloths, placemats, napkins, towels
smallish artificial trees
lights
dancing Santas

No, thank you

stained tablecloths
anything wrinkled
big boxes of ancient, dusty ornaments, only a few of which can be sold (often direct from the attic and unopened until we dare to)
dirt-encrusted candle holders
child-crafted ornaments, macaroni-based or otherwise (you love it but nobody will buy it)
grimy plates, platters, or mugs
big artificial trees that need two people to lift ‘em
cheap plastic stuff shipped here by the ton from China

Jewelry Box

Yes, please

Rings
Pins
Earrings (pairs!)
Necklaces
Bracelets
Tie tacks / clips
Cufflinks
High quality dress watches
Hair clips
Scarves
Hats
Handbags
Beads
Buttons
Jewelry boxes

No, thank you

Broken jewelry

Blue Table

Yes, please

Ceramic/pottery baking dishes and bowls
Ceramic mugs
Wine/cocktail glasses
Good dinnerware sets/luncheon or dessert plate sets
Polish pottery
Vases
Good quality table linens
Ceramic planters
Pitchers

No, thank you

Chipped or cracked plates (or anything chipped or cracked)
Mugs or glasses (or anything) with a logo
“Blue Willow” type plates (especially single ones)
Blue glass vases that come with floral arrangements
China teacups and saucers
Teapots
Items that are not (primarily) blue!

Book Nook

Yes, please

Fiction, especially newer, both literary fiction and genre fiction
YA (young adult) books
Graphic novels
Kids’ books
Picture books in good condition
General Nonfiction: academic books and popular nonfiction, history, science, biography, memoir, social science, health, arts, crafts, gardening, cookbooks, nature, travel, psychology, self help, parenting
Vintage or rare books, if in very good condition
Vinyl records OK, if in excellent condition
Art books, coffee table books in good condition

No, thank you

Any books with mildew or water damage, broken spines, torn pages
Books that smell musty
Reference books, manuals, training materials, encyclopedias
Outdated travel guides
Outdated study/test prep books
Media: no CDs, DVDs, VHS, or cassette tapes
Magazines
Calendars
Blank Books, Stationery
Coloring Books, Adult Coloring Books

REboots and Rewinds (Electronics)

Yes, please

Electronics less than 10 years old (including computers and stereo equipment)
Good working condition
Clean
Computers WITH a power supply

No, thank you

Headphones or earbuds
DVD players
VHS players
Loose cords

Art Gallery

Yes, please

Ready-to-hang paintings, prints, art photographs, and framed posters
Picture frames

Greenery

Yes, please

Plants
Small gardening items
Vases

No, thank you

clear glass or plain vases

Buttery
  • All items must be individually wrapped.
  • Please include ingredients list.
  • Whole pies are very popular.