By Steve Edgcumbe

“It takes a village” is a popular expression these days. It usually refers to raising a child, but the same words can seemingly apply to hosting a holiday bazaar.

Indeed, it takes a village – Dunwoody Village in Newtown Square, to be precise – to plan, coordinate, and present its annual Holiday Bazaar, which will be held on Thursday, Nov. 21 from 9 AM-3 PM.

Admission is free and open to the public.

The fundraiser will feature a great selection of attic treasures, Christmas trees, wreaths, decorations, delicious baked goods, unique arts and crafts, fashion jewelry, knitted and cross-stitched items, fresh holiday plants, raffle tickets for baskets of cheer, a $200 money tree, resale clothing items, dishes, and a silent auction.

Also available for sale are handbags, handmade and hand-painted birdhouses, and wildlife note cards and gifts. All of these items are made by Dunwoody residents.

Proceeds support the Dunwoody Village Residents’ Association, which provides a variety of entertainment programs throughout the year, including live music concerts, lectures by guest speakers, and other performances.

In addition to the Holiday Bazaar, a brunch will be held from 11 AM-1:30 PM. The cost for the brunch is $11.

Lucy Irwin, the co-chair of this year’s event, is a four-year resident of Dunwoody who has been involved with the Holiday Bazaar since she and her husband moved to the retirement community.

“The Holiday Bazaar is a very important part of life at Dunwoody,” Irwin said. “It brings people together and helps to build up our community. The bazaar, as well as all the other activities at Dunwoody, are a nice way to connect people who may not know each other or people who are new to the community. No one is sitting around here being bored.”

Among the Dunwoody residents working with Irwin are co-chair Nancy Bloomfield and Fran Northrup, a talented floral designer who brings with her years of experience working with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Northrup also has a small studio at Dunwoody where she conducts workshops in floral design for the residents.

“Nancy and I are working well together,” Irwin said. “Any time you live in a community like this, it’s good to be with people who have experience and who know what needs to be done. And the Dunwoody staff gives us a lot of support. We just organize it.”

Irwin has been doing this kind of volunteer work her whole life.

“While I was raising a family, my husband worked, and I was involved in school and church activities,” she said. “If you stay at home, you won’t meet anybody. So, I have always gotten out and gotten involved. I am a social person.”

Click here to learn more about Dunwoody Village.

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