The North Bellmore Parent Teacher Organization at the Goddard School will present its first Holiday Gift & Vendor Show this Saturday, Dec. 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring local businesses, games, treats, and entertainment.
The event, open to the public, will showcase a variety of vendors offering ornaments, jewelry, wreaths, paintings, and other handmade goods. Organizers say many of the participating vendors are women-owned or women-run small businesses.
Pamela Granda, co-vice president of the PTO, said the event has been months in the making.
“We were very mindful about what type of vendors we wanted,” she said. “We really wanted to support small businesses, especially local parents and neighbors doing what they love.”
The Goddard School of North Bellmore is an early childhood education center serving children from infancy through preschool. The school emphasizes hands-on learning, creativity, and social development, welcoming families from across the North Bellmore community. Granda said the PTO aims to create opportunities for children and parents alike to engage with the school and each other outside the classroom.
Granda said the idea for the event came together quickly after she joined the PTO this year.
“The school is relatively new, and the PTO started maybe three years ago,” she said. “This is the first time a fundraiser of this scale is being done here. We’re opening the doors to the community to interact and engage with each other.”
Over a dozen vendors are expected to participate, including a parent at the school selling hair accessories and others offering luxury olive oils, wreaths, and handcrafted ornaments. Granda emphasized that organizers worked to ensure there was minimal overlap among vendors’ offerings.
Dom Russolello, president of the PTO, said the event also aligns with the organization’s broader goals.
“This fundraiser has two big parts,” he said. “One is the funds raised for activities and enrichment for the children at the school. The other is that it’s a great opportunity for teachers, parents, kids, relatives, and local businesses to come together as a community.”
Russolello noted that the PTO has hosted other events in the past, including a Halloween “Trunk or Treat” and holiday bake sales, but this vendor show is a first for the school.
Granda said she hopes families will see the event as a way to support local small businesses while enjoying the holiday spirit.
“Ultimately, small business is one of the pillars of community,” she said. “If I can support a local parent or neighbor versus ordering another Amazon package, I will do that. That’s what we hope people take away from this event.”
The Goddard School of North Bellmore is located at 1641 Bellmore Road.
