Business Monday: ‘Goose’ Williams started this holiday craft fair in Kona 44 years ago

In 1981, Joann “Goose” Williams hosted her first holiday craft fair at her home in Palisades. She invited 20 local vendors to sell their wares.

“When I opened the doors to my house, 500 people traipsed through,” Williams said with a laugh last week. “I thought the house was going to fall down.”

That was the birth of the Christmas Treasures Gift, Jewelry, Art and Crafts Fair, which over the past 44 years has become a holiday shopping tradition each November for many Kona residents.

It’s quite an achievement for Williams, one of Bank of Hawai‘i’s first female managers who never considered herself a crafty person.

She started giving back to the community during the Festival of Trees, where she would design Christmas trees that would later be auctioned off with proceeds going to a local charity.

After the successful fair at her home four decades ago, Williams took her craft fair to the condominiums at Kona Surf in Keauhou, where it remained until she moved to bigger space at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel. The beachfront location as been the craft fair’s home for the past 25 years.

This year, the event will take place on Black Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Small Business Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, and there will be validated parking.

Kristina Sanchez, director of catering and convention services at the King Kamehameha Hotel, works with Williams on setting up the craft fair.

“She was the pioneer of vendor fair in Kona,” Sanchez said. “I remember as a kid coming to her fairs. We would come after Thanksgiving to do our Christmas shopping.”

Sanchez remembers visiting one vendor that sold crafted angel ornaments that her grandmother would buy.

“It’s a great community event people can look forward to,” she said, adding she doesn’t think Williams has ever missed a year.

When she started the craft fair, Williams said it was a more profitable venture for herself. She created and sold a variety of dolls for the holiday, like angels, a naughty Santa, voodoo dolls and a variety of other crafts.

Now, she enjoys getting new businesses started.

“A lot of my vendors have become successful,” Williams said. “I’ve always wanted to help others get started in the business.”

In the past, Williams said she’s had more than 100 vendors participate in her event. This year, she estimates she’ll have 50 to 75.

Those attending can expect to find jewelry, original art, skin care products, treats and a handful of local Hawaiian clothing designers from Wahine Toa, Living Hula Clothing and Na Makua Original Hawaiian Designs.

Vendors also will be selling wreaths, assorted ornaments, Santa’s, jams and jellies, baked goods, and yes, voodoo dolls.