The Inter-Mountain photo by Edgar Kelley A group of vendors prepare some of their unique items Monday during the Randolph County Senior Center’s annual Bazaar which is held each year during the Mountain State Forest Festival. The Bazaar will run daily through Friday and offers handmade items made from Randolph County seniors.

ELKINS — The Randolph County Senior Center’s annual Bazaar, traditionally offered during the Mountain State Forest Festival, is off to a roaring start, with local seniors showcasing an array of handcrafted items.

The Bazaar will continue through Friday. All of the items for sale at the Bazaar, which is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, were made by Randolph County residents 60 years old or older.

“Monday was wonderful, it was so busy and all of the vendors were very happy,” Randolph County Senior Center Executive Director Laura Ward told The Inter-Mountain Tuesday. “We have around a dozen vendors set up and the neat thing is that everything they are selling is all handmade.”

According to Ward, some of the handmade items visitors can expect to see at the Bazaar include wooden bowls, knitted items, pottery, flower arrangements, wreaths, tote bags, decorations, ornaments, candy and much more.

“We are typically always busy on the first day (Monday) and then it is kind of steady through the middle of the week,” Ward said. “We tend to get really busy again on Friday when everyone is in town for the Queen’s Coronation. We are excited and looking forward to the remainder of the week.”

Ward said the traditional visit from Maid Silvia and her Royal Court on the Tuesday afternoon of the Festival is one of the highlights of the week.

“Having Maid Silvia and her whole Court visit the Senior Center is always special,” Ward said. “They always spend some time at the Bazaar visiting with the vendors. And like in the past, we made a basket for Maid Silvia that includes items from some of the vendors.”

The first-ever Senior Center Bazaar during the Mountain State Forest Festival was in 1982. It has taken place every year since, with the exception of the two years the Forest Festival was canceled due to the COVID pandemic, in 2020 and 2021.

Visit www.randolphcountyseniorcenter.com for more information about the Randolph County Senior Center, or go to the Center’s Facebook page. More Mountain State Forest Festival information can be found at www.forestfestival.com.