BETHEL — Black Friday doesn’t have to be about hitting the big box stores for big deals while handling large crowds and heavy traffic.

That’s why the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce is offering one-stop shopping locally at the Local Wares Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23, in the Bethel Inn Conference Center off Main Street behind Northeast Bank.

“As the upcoming shopping frenzy approaches, it is a good time to take stock of what is important to our local economies and to the tradition of the handcraft produced by mostly home-based entrepreneurs,” Robin Zinchuk, executive director of the chamber, stated Monday in a news release.

The Local Craft & Wares Fair features three dozen crafters and local product producers. 

It “showcases hundreds of mostly handmade, one-of-a-kind items; perfect for gift giving in any season!” Zinchuk said.

The Local Wares Fair also kicks off the Country Christmas in Bethel Celebration.

There will be free horse-drawn wagon rides through Bethel Village, starting from 1 to 3 p.m. from the Bethel Common. It is sponsored by the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

The Country Christmas in Bethel includes dozens of events and special holiday promotions from Thanksgiving through the New Year, including Small Business Saturday, Christmas tree lightings with Santa, craft fairs, holiday music events, a Living Nativity, and so much more, Zinchuk said.

A complete list is available at www.bethelmaine.com.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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