After four months of planning, the 20th annual baseball craft market opens tomorrow at 9 a.m., featuring new and returning artists and craftsmen.
Vendors are selected through a two-step process. Returning vendors are invited to sign up early to reserve their spot. New vendors are then welcome to sign up for any leftover booths.
“The most challenging part of planning and running the event is definitely communication,” craft fair conductor Amanda Trimble said. Trimble began volunteering after her son, Jackson Trimble, made the team his freshman year. “There are so many people and departments involved– the district, the school, the custodial teams, more than 200 vendors, parents, and local businesses. Coordinating all of that takes months of planning and literally hundreds of emails to make sure every detail lines up.”
To iron out any wrinkles during the fair, baseball players prepare the space, move furniture, measure out each booth, load merchandise, and direct traffic.
“The baseball players play a huge role in making the craft market happen,” Trimble said. “One of the biggest reasons our community loves it is because the players are so involved, they’re hands-on and really part of making the event happen. It’s a fun, community-focused event that brings people together year after year. The players are very hands-on throughout the whole process, and their involvement is one of the things that really sets our market apart from others in the area.”
Tickets cost $5 at the door; teachers go free. All money raised is funneled into the baseball program to cover the costs of equipment and seasonal needs.
“It’s a lot of work, but the feeling of when you get done with it and then you feel awesome and then it makes so much money off of it,” senior Jackson Trimble said. “It really just helps the program– the new cages that we just built, those are all paid for by the craft market. The community supports us by coming out to our game and the market is a way to give back to that community.”
With the market having been moved into the new gym this year, players anticipate a smoother set up process.
[Being in the new gym] might make it easier because it’s closer to the doors,” senior Dominic Jaramillo said. “Before everything war in the gym, the cafeteria, the auxiliary gym so it was more spread out. With the new gym it will be closer.”
The team arrives around 5 a.m. to put the finishing touches on the market– they stay until well after 6 p.m.. In that time, friendships are forged.
“It really helps to foster team comradery because the morale gets boosted,” junior Braxton Hernandez said. “Everybody hangs out together– even today we’ll have sleepovers. It’s a good team bonding experience overall, not just, like a fundraiser.”
The fair supports hundreds of vendors and offers wide variety of items, Trimble said, so that “there’s something for just about everyone.”
“This event fosters community by bringing together people of all ages—students, parents, local businesses, and neighbors—for a shared purpose,” Amanda Trimble said. “It creates a space where the community can connect, support local artists and crafters, and celebrate our baseball program. The players’ involvement also gives families a chance to see students contributing in meaningful ways, which strengthens the connection between the school, the team, and the broader community. It’s a true team effort that benefits everyone involved.”
