This weekend on Saturday 26th, October 2024, the West Potomac Marketplace will take place in the Wolverdome gymnasium from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The West Po Marketplace is a craft fair event that also raises funds for the West Potomac Athletic Boosters. A total of 82 hand-made crafters will be set up at stalls throughout the gymnasium selling their goods. While vendors who participate in the craft fair do have to pay an entry fee, their profits from the event are not taken for the WABC and will go directly to the vendor.
Instead of taking vendor proceeds, WABC raises money through a collection of other events, such as raffles and a silent auction.
“We… have a 50/50 raffle and a raffle where the prize is gift cards to local businesses,” Maritza Maxwell, chair for the West Po Marketplace, added.
A concession stand run by WABC will be open throughout the five hour event, additionally raising money for the various sports teams within the school.
“Rita’s Ice Truck will also be there,” Maxwell said.
To make the event more appealing to all members of the family, a collection of activities have been organized for younger children: A scavenger hunt, in which children will be given a scorecard and instructed to find school mascots hidden around the vendors stands, and arts and craft tables where West Potomac students will be helping children make paper pumpkins and monster bookmarks.
The event, previously held in the spring, is now taking place in the fall with hopes to draw more participants, “…we decided to move it to October, and I hope that we will get a lot of holiday shoppers and people who are just out enjoying the fall weather,” Maxwell explained.
West Po Marketplace is a fairly new recurring event in West Potomac High School. Maxwell is an artist who sells her creations in craft fairs around the county, and was surprised to find that West Potomac didn’t host a craft fair whereas many other high schools do. Maxwell then approached Kevin Jones, the head of the WABC, who she knew because of their daughters playing field hockey together, “…[I] asked why we didn’t do that [host a craft fair] and he said because they never thought of it. So I said, ‘Alright, let’s go.’”
There are several opportunities for West Potomac students to volunteer and assist with the event, earning service hours for their time. Students —or parents— interested should sign up here.
