Herkimer BOCES Spooktacular Vendor Bazaar

Additional Information

During the second annual Spooktacular Vendor Bazaar, you can say “trick or treat,” but you won’t have to say “students or veterans.”

That’s because the Spooktacular will benefit both local veterans and students.

Spooktacular organizers are asking for donations of non-perishable food or hygiene items to Feed Our Vets in lieu of an entrance fee. Funds raised from other aspects of the event will support students in the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES chapter of SkillsUSA – including attending local, regional, state and potentially national competitions.

“We’re excited to bring the Spooktacular Vendor Bazaar back for a second year and establish it as a fun autumn tradition,” said Holly Rotundo Fischer, Herkimer BOCES cosmetology instructor and SkillsUSA advisor. “The best part is that it’s helping veterans and allowing students to participate in activities that will give them additional experience with career-tech skills they’re learning at BOCES.”

The second annual Spooktacular Vendor Bazaar is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, at the Remington Educational Complex at 77 E. North St. in Ilion.

The event features crafters, vendors, a bake sale, a Chinese auction, McGill’s Food Truck and a “Kids Corner” with activities for children – including trick-or-treat stations, pumpkin painting, face painting and fall crafts.

Collecting donations for Feed Our Vets is part of an ongoing SkillsUSA community service project. The Herkimer BOCES chapter is competing with others in SkillsUSA Area II to see which chapter can collect the most donations to win a plaque and bragging rights. The donations will go to the Feed Our Vets Utica and Watertown locations.

Herkimer BOCES SkillsUSA students will continue collecting donations at BOCES facilities through the end of January. The donations are packed up and brought to the SkillsUSA regional conference at Morrisville State College.

Each year, students in the Herkimer BOCES chapter of SkillsUSA compete in local SkillsUSA competitions and have the opportunity to advance to regional, state and national conferences.

Last school year during the state conference at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, the following Herkimer BOCES students placed:

• A team of Herkimer BOCES Building Construction students Marshall Borek, of Herkimer; Josh Douglas, of Mount Markham; James Baisley, of Dolgeville, and Devin Gorinshek, of Dolgeville, won second place in the Team Works building competition.

• Herkimer BOCES Information Technology Academy student Anthony Treonze, of Mount Markham, won second place in Technical Computer Applications.

If you’re interested in being a crafter or vendor at the Spooktacular Vendor Bazaar or want to donate to Feed Our Vets and/or SkillsUSA, contact Fischer at Herkimer BOCES at 315-867-2043.