HERMISTON — It’s Christmastime in Hermiston.

For some, that means it’s time to shop. More than 1,000 people flocked to the Hermiston Community Center and The Arc Umatilla County on Saturday, Nov. 27, for the annual Christmas Bazaar.

The event featured more than 60 vendors, and some “overflow” vendors were moved to The Arc Umatilla County nearby, according to Diana Picard, the city’s recreation coordinator and the manager of the community center.

Picard said this year’s bazaar was the biggest yet — so big that organizers had to turn away at least 40 vendors. Picard said she was unsure why this year saw so many more vendors, but she assumed that many people had taken up creative hobbies during the pandemic and were ready to put their products on display.

Vendors remarked on the bazaar’s bustling atmosphere. Crowds of people meandered through the center browsing ornaments, woodwork, paintings, jewelry, crochet hats, bath bombs and other types of goods. The air was filled with the smell of holiday fragrances and baked goods.

Shoppers said they were excited to be out supporting local businesses after months where the pandemic shuttered them and brought both supply chain and hiring woes. Many purchased holiday gifts for loved ones, noting the special feeling of shopping local rather than buying online through Amazon and other shopping websites.

“This is a way to connect with each other,” Picard said. “It’s a place to see the people you haven’t in a while.”

And shoppers were eager to buy. Stephanie Walchli saw that firsthand. Next to her crochet table, she watched as her parents’ wood tables were completely sold out before 11 a.m., hours before the event was scheduled to end. By noon, the tables were clear and her family had left.

Walchli’s day was busy, too. She said she typically makes around $200 at a bazaar, which she had successfully made halfway through her day on Nov. 27.

A substitute teacher, Walchli taught herself to crochet. She enjoyed seeing other creative artisans reap the benefits of their hobbies at the bazaar.

“You see the results of months of work,” she said.

Some vendors said the bazaar is one of their biggest sales days. And this year was even more important after the stresses the pandemic placed on small businesses.

That was the case for Racquel Rodriguez, a Hermiston consultant for the fragrance company Scentsy. During pandemic shutdowns, Rodriguez said she was unable to hold “home parties” to showcase products in a home. That slowed business, and made Rodriguez all the more grateful for the community support on a busy Nov. 27.

“It has not stopped,” she said as a half-dozen customers approached.

Among the bazaar shoppers was April Huckstep, from the Tri-Cities. A weekly bazaar shopper, she had checked out food, salsa, handcrafts and other homemade gifts at the event. To her, shopping locally is a more personable experience. It makes holiday gifts meaningful. On Nov. 27, she purchased for her daughter a wooden Mickey Mouse ornament to remind her of a recent trip to Disneyland.

A few feet from Huckstep stood dozens of stacks of paintings. They were Donna Anderson’s, who was showing her work for the first time at the bazaar. After surgery last year left Anderson immobilized, painting became her “saving grace,” she said.

“It gives me peace,” she said.

Now, Anderson’s house is filled with countless paintings, so her family convinced her to start selling. That’s why she came to the bazaar, where she said she sold a few paintings. She said she enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, chatting with locals about what they’re buying and with vendors about their passions.