SWNE Christmas Festival offers variety of gift choices

The Southwest Nebraska Entrepreneurs (SWNE) gathered at the Imperial City Gym for their annual Christmas Festival on Saturday. Twenty-one vendors displayed their goods and homemade crafts for the community. Gayla Mayden, coordinator for the festival, said there weren’t as many visitors this year, but they still had a decent turnout. Two food vendors were on site to keep patrons and craftsmen satiated with food and drinks. Eleven-year-old Rose Heyne of Benkleman, above, peeks out from under her dad’s table while enjoying something to eat. Middle, Blackwood Krafts co-owner Don Fagerstone of Hayes Center, at left, displays his handmade wooden decor and children’s toys, while Wes White of Holyoke watches his wife, Lois, try her hand at a wooden “catch ball” toy. Below, six-year-old Elena Coon from Broken Bow combs a doll’s hair and looks through doll clothing and children’s cold weather accessories crocheted and machine sewn by her great-grandmother. A door prize consisting of an assortment of items donated by the vendors was awarded to Tammy Siverson of Imperial. The next SWNE event will be the Spring Fling in early 2019. (Johnson Publications photo)