SDBS takes pride in getting involved with their local community, especially through the county fair and community outreach events.
SD County Fair Demo Days
For the past several years, Viola Sullivan has ensured that the San Diego Bead Society is well-represented at the San Diego County Fair. She tirelessly works with the fair planners, and lines up the many volunteers who share with fair-goers the diversified beading that we do. She also encourages us to submit our bead work to the various competitions in jewelry design.
The registration for all entries in the Home and Hobby Department will be closing soon. Everyone can get more information at www.sdfair.com
2023 dates will be announced closer to summer.
Our 2020 Demo days were:
Wednesday, June 19, 11-4
Thursday, June 20, 11-4
Friday, June 21, 11-4
Saturday, June 22, 11-4
Sunday, June 23, 11-4
We would love two to three people per demo day to volunteer.
Parking is $15.00. Any other volunteers can arrange to carpool, as we get one parking permit into the green lot.
The Bead Society always has a table up on the second floor in the Home and Hobby building, where our volunteers will be beading and talking to fair-goers about the work that we do. If you come to the Fair, be sure to stop by our table to say “hi”!
This year we are being offered one of those beautiful four shelved wooden case to exhibit all our beautiful work as a Guild. Please bring your beautiful beadwork to this Saturday’s meeting, tagged with your name on it, and I will have you sign an intake form. These cases are locked during the Fair. I have plenty of neck forms and bracelet bars, so no one has to worry about that. This is the first time that we have been offered this opportunity. We should jump on it as it’s very good for community exposure.
Prizes Sponsored by the San Diego Bead Society
Each year, the SDBS happily sponsors several prizes for jewelry-making at the Fair. Our prizes are:
- First Place:
- One year General Membership to the SDBS. (Worth $25.00.)
- $50.00 class fee credit to a SDBS sponsored class or workshop (Worth $50.00.)
- A $25.00 check.
- Second Place:
- One year Associate Membership to the SDBS. (Worth $25.00.)
- $50.00 credit toward a beading class fee only, sponsored by the SDBS.
- Third Place:
- One year Associate Membership to the SDBS. (Worth $25.00.)
- $25.00 credit toward a beading class fee only, sponsored by the SDBS.
Volunteering at Our Booth
Viola would love to have our members — especially newer ones — join her! Each member that volunteers gets two entry tickets to the Fair: one for herself to enter the Fair, and an extra one for a family member or a friend. (The parking fee of $13.00 plus an optional extra $5.00 fee if you park in the Horseman’s Park lot will need to be paid for by each volunteer.)
We demo what we do best, as long as we use beads: wire work, kumihimo, crochet, freeform, etc. You will be speaking to the fair-goers, so you don’t want to bring anything with a difficult pattern.
If you would like to volunteer to help at the booth or have questions, please reach out to Viola via email at [email protected].
As soon as she receives the tickets, she will be sending our volunteers everything they need in an information packet.
If you need more information about the Fair in general, their website is: www.sdfair.com
Community Outreach
Rady Children’s Hospital
For several years, the SDBS has been partnering with Rady Children’s Hospital to provide an enjoyable beading experience for hospitalized children and their families. Members volunteer to share their expertise and love of beads, assisting in the creation of lovely bracelets and necklaces.
If you would like to volunteer for one of these upcoming events, please email us at [email protected].
