Oasis Senior Center hosts annual Balloons Over 66 Craft and Vendor Fair

[September 01, 2026]    

The Oasis Senior Center hosted their annual Craft and Vendor Fair during the day on Saturday as part of the Balloons Over 66 weekend of events. Oasis volunteers also served lunch as a fundraiser, one of several fundraisers that the Oasis holds throughout the year to support the senior center. Saturday’s fundraiser lunch offered a pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw, baked beans, and a cookie or hot dogs with chips. Seating was available indoors this year. A concession stand outdoors next to the craft and vendor sale also sold hot dogs as well as funnel cakes, snow cones, slushies, popcorn, chips, animal crackers, juice boxes, soda, and water.

A covered seating area was available for eating and relaxing in the back of the building near the concessions and vendors. Elvis tribute artist Ryan E. Williams from Lincoln provided entertainment from noon to 1 p.m. to an appreciative audience taking advantage of the shaded seating. The slightly overcast skies and breezy weather made for a pleasant day to enjoy the outdoors and stroll around the 50 vendors from Logan County and around central Illinois which lined the walking track at the back of the Oasis.

A variety of merchandise was available for sale, everything from jewelry, pens, stickers, and magnets to skincare, baked goods, candles, and woodworking. Multiple booths boasted adorable handmade crocheted toys and stuffed animals in addition to more traditional crocheted blankets and shawls.

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New this year, the Oasis offered a garage sale and a fabric sale with fabric bundles, scrap bags, sewing notions, and two sewing machines beginning at 9 a.m. Both were popular sales and the fabric was almost sold out by 9:15. Another new activity was a free hot-air balloon scavenger hunt for kids with prizes for participating children. Kids could play while parents shopped the day away in peace.

Balloons Over 66 Oasis Craft and Vendor Fair photo slideshow part 1

Balloons Over 66 Oasis Craft and  Vendor Fair photo slideshow part 2


[Stephanie Hall]
 

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