Holiday shoppers go for the bazaar.

Byline: JACK MORAN The Register-Guard

Fruitcakes sold like hotcakes in Veneta on Saturday as Pat Dawley and a few of her pals hawked their homemade goodies as part of the 24th annual Country Holiday Bazaars.

"This is always our big seller," said Dawley, holding the last fruitcake in stock Saturday afternoon. "We probably should mark up this one, but we won't."

A total of 140 of the holiday treats were purchased for $4.75 apiece during the two-day holiday fair, held every year the weekend before Thanksgiving. While Dawley's group at Christ Lutheran Church stuck to selling sweets, handmade ornaments and ceramic nativity sets, more goodies and gifts could be found at 13 other locations throughout Veneta, Elmira, Noti and Blachly.

The Christmas shopping season doesn't officially begin until Friday, but that didn't stop hundreds of people from checking out potential presents at the holiday bazaars.

"I was ready for this last weekend," said Carol Lydon, who shopped at Stix and Stones in Veneta with her husband, Robert. "We just like to go around looking at everything, and we got our grandson something."

The Lydons bought four garden statues before heading off to the Elmira Grange to look for more gifts. That's where Gladys Edmiston was selling plenty of holiday gifts and decorations - $125 worth on Friday alone, she said.

"We've had people come in here from all over the place," Edmiston said. "It's surprising to see so many people coming out here from Eugene."

Plenty of folks who didn't venture west along Highway 126 got their holiday shopping fix Saturday at the Lane County Fairgrounds, the winter home of Saturday Market's Holiday Market. The Saturday Market that covers the city's Park Blocks from April through October has headed indoors for the winter, and that's just fine with vendor Alex Lanham.

"I do about half of my sales at the Holiday Market," he said, adding that his hottest-selling items are $3 rolls of tie-dyed toilet paper that he designed himself.

"This has actually been a boon for me," he said, pointing at the "TDTP" sign next to the rainbow-colored items. "The thing is, when you use a roll of tie-dyed toilet paper, you know it's the last roll in the house."

On the other side of the fairgrounds' exhibit hall, Jeff Shirk sold bags of Volcano Candy from a corner booth that attracted the attention of holiday shoppers of all ages.

"Our business really picks up during the holiday season," said Shirk, whose wife, Lynette Rohrer, invented the peanut brittle-type treat that comes in several flavors, including "Java Lava."

"It's a gift-oriented candy that people like to pick up while they're looking for gifts," he said.

Stephanie Castillo of Eugene and her sister, Carrie Condon, passed on the Volcano Candy but found plenty of other gifts at the Holiday Market, leaving with bags full of stuff.

"It's all for my kids," said Castillo, whose sister is visiting from Iowa. "I always bring my out-of-town guests here for a little slice of Eugene. We're just starting our Christmas shopping."

Condon said she was thinking beyond Dec. 25 when she decided to buy a large bag full of fleece material.

"This is a baby gift for a baby that's supposed to be born in May," she said. "I'm really thinking ahead."

HOLIDAY MARKET 2002

What: More than 250 vendors selling arts and crafts, food and other products. Includes live music and gift wrapping.

Where/when: Lane County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Dec. 1