“With the county making huge cuts in the budget, we’ll need more money to keep the Senior Center programs going,” said Jane Heisinger, assistant to the Orcas Island Senior Center Advisory Council.

The Holiday Festival of Arts is the Senior Center’s major fundraiser, with proceeds going to help with the upkeep of the Center, which shares the County Offices building near the Corner of Mt. Baker and North Beach roads in Eastsound.

Heisinger is putting out a call for more vendors at the annual Holiday Festival, which will take place at the Senior Center on Saturday, Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this year.

The festival is always jam-packed with new and returning vendors, non-profit agencies promoting their missions, and with happy hordes of islanders and visitors stocking up on items as varied as potholders and pokers. Admission is by donation to the Food Bank at the door, or $1.

The Senior Center has been in this location since 2002, and provides a multitude of services to seniors (those 60 years of age and older) and to the community at large.

Classes and meetings are held in the larger rooms, health services such as foot care, business aid such as tax filing and disaster grants, twice weekly luncheons and medical transport off the island are some of the many services the Senior Center provides.

“We’d be letting a lot of people down if we’re not able to do this,” said Heisinger.

She adds that the festival not only helps artisans’ incomes, but it “helps the Senior Center and the island at large see all their wonderful merchandise.”

Booths cost $30; all profits go directly to the vendors.

Interested vendors are asked to come into the Center and pick up an application at the front desk, or to call the Center at 376-2677.