Mennonite Church hosts annual gift festival

The annual holiday International Gift Festival at Mountain View Mennonite Church provides a unique opportunity to purchase handmade items from around the world.  

The festival runs Thursday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the church in Creston. 

Since 1999, the church has been hosting the gift festival that also includes the opportunity to purchase a meal and on Friday evening a free concert.  

The major supplier of gifts is Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit fair trade organization in the United States that markets handcrafted products made by artisans in more than 30 countries. 

Handcrafted items for sale include Christmas ornaments and decorations, baskets, jewelry, linens, purses, paper goods, instruments, toys, decorative items, pots, kitchen goods and much more. Fairtrade chocolate and coffee will also be for sale.  

This year, the festival hosts Blackfeet artists through a partnership with the Museum of the Plains Indian. During the event, artists will showcase their craft by demonstrating the process they take to create works from painting to fiber craft.  

During the festival, the Village Cafe offers a variety of food for purchase. The menu includes African ground nut stew, sweet and spicy sirloin chili, vegetarian lentil soup, homemade pies, fresh rolls, cookies, chai tea and coffee.  

On Friday at 7 p.m. the Crown of the Continent Choir performs a free concert in the auditorium. 

Then on Saturday, the festival includes a kids program from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the opportunity for school-age children to learn about the cultures showcased at the sale. 

Proceeds from the sale go to benefit a variety of charities.  

Mountain View Mennonite Church is located at 795 Mennonite Church Road in Creston. For more information, call 406-755-8772 or visit www.mountainviewmennonite.org.