SUPERIOR – Superior’s United Methodist Church ushered in the holiday season Saturday with a holiday bazaar designed to spark the spirit of charity in the community.

The bazaar took place in the main room of Superior’s Masonic temple and featured homemade holiday decorations, crafts and a variety of other goods, which were donated for the event. The church also provided a lunch of soups and sandwiches for shoppers to enjoy. A bake sale featuring homemade cookies, pies and other desserts rounded off the event.

While no one could remember a specific start date, the church has held the holiday bazaar for several years. Maggie Dahl, co-chairperson of the event, estimated it had been an annual event for approximately 15 years. She described the bazaar as the women’s project for the year and explained how the ladies of the church spent most of the year in preparation for the event.

The bazaar acts as a fundraiser for the Methodist church. According to Dahl the money raised would go toward missions and other charities sponsored by the organization. To encourage the sense of charity, some items had a specific price, while others were the buyer’s choice.

“Anything without a listed price is a donation,” said Dahl. “What you think it’s worth, what you wish to donate to the church.”

The soup selection consisted of two barley soups, a vegetable soup, two potato soups and a spicy chicken soup. Dahl said all the soups were homemade by church members. She explained how this year also offered a special addition to the lunch. At the soup table were a variety of different bowls and cups. A person could pick a bowl and would get to keep it for the flat cost of the soup.

“In fact, if you leave it, we’ll charge you more, because we’ll have to wash it,” Dahl said with a laugh.

This bazaar was a different style from other events. Where other events are set up for individuals to have a table to sell items from, this was organized where the group sold everything. A pair of cashiers sat at the entrance to complete any transactions from the shop side.

The room was reorganized into separate areas to shop and eat in. The center of the room had tables with goods for sale laid out. The north and west walls were devoted to lunch and the bake sale. Along one wall, shoppers could get a bowl of soup or a sandwich, then sit at a table along the other wall to enjoy it.

The tables for people to shop from had various items, which included knitting, crocheted items, quilts, Christmas decorations and even a beautifully painted nativity scene. According to Dahl, all of the homemade items were made by members of the church. She said other items were donated by the community.

Dahl said all members of the community were welcome. She recalled how members of other churches, and those who never went to church, had come to shop at the bazaar in past years. Some of the items for sale and some of the soup bowls were also donated by people from other churches.

“The church community in this county seems to be a very nurturing, supportive thing,” said Dahl.

The bazaar was a good opener to the holiday season. The event was a good picture of the holiday spirit, bringing people together regardless of religious denomination or belief.