St. Patrick’s Day vendor show to support local charity organization

Port Huron resident and proud stay-at-home mom Samantha Baptiste says she has bought and sold things her entire life.

“It’s what I’m good at,” she says.

Coordinating craft and vendor shows since 2017, Baptiste believes she has done approximately 30 of them, including Mom-to-Mom sales. Remembering back to the days when her children were younger, she says that community support was crucial during those years. She adds that events like this bring people together with the common goal of giving each other a little break from high store prices.

“They are always very well attended,” she adds, “And many of my crafters and vendors follow me all over. It’s very encouraging.”

This year, Baptiste’s St. Patrick’s Day Craft & Vendor Show will be donating to St. Clair County’s well-known Tires and Treads Community Project, which provides clothing and boots to children in need within schools.
One of the vendors at a craft show Samantha Baptiste ran.
Some vendor items that will be available include designer tumbler cups, beaded pens and keychains, a variety of crocheted and knitted items, homemade baked goods including dog treats, and freeze-dried candy. Other locally made products available will include wind chimes and wooden signs.

Baptiste keeps tables affordable for her vendors, who pay $35 for their spot for the day, with an additional table costing $5. She will also donate 10 to 15 baskets of items, to which each vendor participant is encouraged to contribute an item, and raffle the items off in a silent auction for a donation of proceeds to be gifted to Tires and Treads.

Baptiste says she has always believed that her work contributes to the betterment of schools, creating a community atmosphere and encouraging relationships between small business owners in the community and residents to buy locally made products.

The St. Patrick’s Day Craft & Vendor Show will be held on March 15, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the American Legion, Post #8, located at 1026 Sixth Street in Port Huron.

Read more articles by Rita MacDonald.

Rita MacDonald is a U.S. Army veteran and a full-time registered nurse who claims that her Irish and Scottish heritage is the reason for her love of storytelling. She is the mother of two adult sons, “Gummy” to her three grandchildren, loves talking with anyone who will engage in a conversation, and “eats life with a shovel!” In addition to her work with The Keel, Rita is a contributor for the Thumbprint News, an author of three books, and writes a blog at kitchentabledevotions.com.
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