OGDEN -- The Christmas Craft Fair promises fresh ideas to add to old traditions, as well as tips for taming holiday hassles.
The festival starts at 10 a.m. today in the Shepherd Union Building ballrooms at Weber State University, 3848 Harrison Blvd., Ogden. The event continues until 4 p.m., with classes and booths full of ideas for holiday fun and gift-giving. Admission is $5.
The Christmas Craft Fair, a new event in Ogden, is sponsored by the Standard-Examiner, the Utah State University Extension Service and Weber State University.
Teresa Hunsaker, family and consumer science educator with the USU Extension office in Weber County, says people ask a lot of questions over the holiday season.
"I get questions on not only the baking aspect ... I even get questions on organization and time management, and requests for classes about stretching your holiday dollar," she said.
Hunsaker assisted the Standard-Examiner in planning the festival, which is patterned after her popular holiday fairs of the past.
"It's intended to be a fun, educational and uplifting kind of a forum," she said.
The festival features hourly classes, starting at 11 a.m., included in the admission price.
"They cover everything from ideas to decorate Christmas trees to your holiday meal," said Jennifer Thorpe, events coordinator for the Standard-Examiner.
"When going after presenters, we were really looking for people who are tops in their field."
The tree-decorating class will be taught by Susan Ritchie from Jimmy's Flower Shop in Layton.
David Breitenbeker, owner of The David Group, will offer ideas for holiday wreaths and tables.
"He's actually the one who decorates the LDS Conference Center every year, in Salt Lake City, for the holidays, so he's got thousands of ideas that he can draw from," Thorpe said.
Mitzi Deeter, of Eden, will also offer a class on personalizing gift packaging.
Joanne Roueche, with Davis County's USU Extension Service office, is presenting "Untangle the Holidays."
"Her class will be about how you can handle the holidays, and enjoy the holidays, even with all the crazy stuff going on," Thorpe said.
Cooking classes cover everything from how to make pumpkin soup to ideas for Christmas cookies and cupcakes. The cookie class will be presented by Wendy Cooper, of Sugar & Spice Cakery in Ogden. Chris Mortenson, formerly a chef with Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and now at Ogden's Sonora Grille, will demonstrate the soup recipe.
Craig Steinmetz, of Artisan Grille in Ogden, has been a presenter at past Standard-Examiner events.
"He was a lot of fun and gave great tips for the kitchen, as well as the recipes he presented, so we asked him to come back and share a couple of his favorite holiday recipes," Thorpe said.
Ben Rowley, a local financial adviser, is going to talk about dough -- but not the kind you spend on Christmas gifts.
"He just has this passion for artisan breads," Thorpe said.
Hunsaker says artisan breads make a great gift.
"They're a little outside of the usual loaf of bread," Thorpe said. "It's not that hard, with the tips, recipe and hints that Ben's going to give. It's fun, trendy and popular now ... and it's doable."
In addition to the classes, more than 40 vendors will be at the Christmas Craft Festival, selling decorations, toys, jewelry, clothing and more.
"One guy is going to be doing fresh-made pies," Thorpe said. "He'll make them to order at the event for you to package up and take home."
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