The holiday season is in full swing and the upcoming Phinney Neighborhood Association 28th Annual Winter Festival and Crafts Fair features a variety of artists and entertainers.

"This huge fundraiser includes 115 juried booths," said Ann Bowden, development director of the Phinney Neighborhood Association.

The association organizes a jury each year that reviews vendor applications. Bowden says the jury looks for a mix of quality, variety, range of prices and appropriateness for their venue.

"We always have more (applicants) than we can take. We always have a waiting list," said Bowden.

Seventeen artists from Ballard are participating in the fair this year. Their products include hand wrought sterling silver jewelry, wheel thrown functional pottery and more.

Bowden said one of the Ballard vendors is Diane Macrae, owner of Venue. She will be selling whimsical handbags. Kathy Ross will bring her soft sculpture dolls and Lerna Eng will feature fabric origami gifts.

This year's vendors are offering more products made out of recycled materials. These include purses made from old record albums, bead portraits on Altoid tins, yard art from recycled aluminum cans and cheese platters from old wine bottles.

The Winter Festival averages 4,000 visitors each season and vendors are located in two buildings.

"It's always a rave review," said Bowden.

A wide variety of entertainment is scheduled, with the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band one of the returning favorites. The Anzanga Marimba Ensemble, Phinney Neighborhood Chorus and the G-Notes will also perform, along with The Weavils, a tongue in cheek blue grass band formed by Ballard attorney Greg Lawless and Ballard samba groups Batucada and Bambula.

The Hokunani Dancers, Bradan Irish Dancers, Eclectic Cloggers and Melody Dance Group are among the other performers.

Lunch and espresso will be sold in the center's brick building. Phinney Neighborhood Association members will provide cookies, brownies, pies, cakes and other baked goods.

A hand made quilt, quilted by volunteers each year since 1988 will be raffled off for a $1 ticket.

The association charges artists a fee for their booths, but do not take a percentage of sales.

Proceeds from the booths are used to run the Phinney Neighborhood Association's programs, pay for cost of operating their buildings and staffing.

Admission is $2 for Phinney Neighborhood Association members, $4 for the general public, plus a can of food for local food banks. Kids 12 and under get in free.

The 28th Annual Winter Festival and Crafts Fair is on Dec. 2 and 3 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days.

The center is located at 6532 Phinney Ave. N. Visit http://www.phinneycenter.org for a complete list of vendors, entertainment and programs throughout the year.