Heritage Fair Vendors Sell More than Just Wares

Kim Ross has provided seafood dishes at the Dundalk Heritage Fair since 2001. Her business, on North Point Road, features a colossal crab cake which she’s brought out to the fair this year, along with coddies, clam boats and fries.

Ross used to sell at many fairs, but now she limits her efforts to the Heritage Fair because it’s a definite profit maker, “and in this economy, that’s always something you have to think about,” she said.

Part of the success of her stand, said Ross, involves the support of the fair’s planning committee. “They are so helpful and so accommodating. They work with the vendors to make it as easy as possible,” she said.

It’s much more than selling a product, however, Ross explained. “The point of being a vendor at the fair is to support the Dundalk community, and particularly for us, it’s to support Maryland’s contribution to seafood.”

Helen Anderson of the North Point Village Recreation Council noted that the Recreation Council booth has a number of “firsts” on its side. It’s been a vendor at the fair since the fair's inception.

“The proceeds we make from this help us to keep the costs of sports programs down for the kids,” said Anderson. “It’s a major fundraiser for us.” The Recreation Council also sets up at the Defenders Day at Ft. Howard.  

They’re selling pizza, nachos and for the first time this year, a take-away taco, a yummy-looking taco salad that can be carried easily and eaten by the fair attendee looking to juggle a lot of  activities in a short amount of time.

Joyce Sparwasser, president of the Recreation Council, explained that the booth is the only one operated entirely by volunteers. Some years it has been more difficult than others to find volunteers. “Sometimes it means begging on Facebook to get volunteers.”

Ostrowski’s is offering its famous sausage products, and Squires is offering pit beef, pit ham and fried dough.  has set up a pit beef stand.

Other wares include hand-painted nautical items, home-made quilted gifts, sock monkeys designed by a Perry Hall resident who is making her first appearance at the fair and hair ornaments that are made of feathers and can be braided into a hair extension.

Wendy James of The Frog Pond in New York is a new vendor to the fair this year. Her booth includes items handcrafted in Thailand and Bali. Among them is the “ribbeting frog,” a hand-made wooden frog that makes a life-like (or frog-like) ribbeting sound.

In addition to food and wares, booths represent community groups such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The Old Dundalk Neighborhood Association has devised a few games to keep children business, including a site where they can design their own flag to take home. 

The Dundalk Camera Club booth highlights digital and traditional photography works from its members. President Mike Coursey shows off  portraits, landscapes, black and whites and wildlife scenes. The group normally meets at Logan Elementary School, and can be followed on its Facebook page.

With three stages of entertainment, and rows and rows of vendors, the only reason a person has to sit still is by choice to get a breather before heading off to another venue.