Estancia hopes first crafts fair draws big crowds

Estancia High School’s Parent Teacher Student Assn. wants to turn a teachers’ parking lot into a recurring market filled with crafty, vintage or artistic vendors for a few days out of the year.

Saturday, the first Estancia Market and Crafts Faire opens at 8 a.m. in the tree-lined lot in front of the school.

It will features local sellers like vintage store 7 Blue Chairs and ceramics artist Andrea Luna-Reece, both of Costa Mesa. And, of course, there will be gourmet food trucks.

Organizers hope to run the fair three times a year — in the spring, summer and fall.

PTSA Ways and Means Committee Chairman Greg Ridge floated the idea last year. He’s tried to give it what he called a “patchwork, indy type of feel,” mirroring other occasional markets popping up in Orange County.

“I said, ‘Hey, for something different, this is a great way to get a lot of people to Estancia High School and check out the campus,’” he said.

Ridge, who has bought and sold antiques for decades, was painting furniture in his driveway Friday, getting items ready to fill any extra booth space.

“I’m kind of hoping on the upper end we have about 45 vendors. On the low end, I’m certain we have about 25,” he said. “It’s kind of loosey goosey.”

That could mean the PTSA would pull in about $2,000 from vendor fees, which is, as President Vicki Snell puts it, free money for the school.

The overhead was essentially nonexistent, with marketing done through Facebook, the PTSA’s network, a free website and repurposed campaign signs, Ridge said.

“We haven’t really spent any money,” he said. “Now, hopefully, we’ll raise enough money so we can promote it for July.”

Members of the PTSA originally wanted to have the market in October but decided they weren’t able to pull together vendors quickly enough.

“It came up last year in 2012, but we couldn’t seem to get our act together,” Snell said.

Instead they pushed back the opening and focused on finding local sellers.

“We wanted it to highlight some art, some vintage things, people making furniture and people refinishing it and handmade jewelry and stuff like that,” Snell said. “We didn’t want it to be just a swap meet.”

Ridge also invited Estancia students to play music at the market, alone or with a band.

The proof of the event’s viability will be seen in the crowd size and if there’s a buzz going into the next installment.

“Hopefully, we have a market for it. That’s the biggest thing,” Ridge said. “It’s one thing to get the vendors; it’s another thing to get a market.”

jeremiah.dobruck2@latimes.com

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck

If You Go

What: Estancia Market and Crafts Faire

Where: Estancia High School, 2323 Placentia Ave, Costa Mesa

When: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

Information: estanciamarket.weebly.com