“The Bazaar at St. John in the Wilderness” will be held Saturday, May
2, 2020 inside the Parish Hall, located at 1905 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock. Fine
items of all kinds will be available for sale, including artwork, jewelry, furniture, linens
and silver. Baked goods, live native plants and garden decor will also be available.
Proceeds will benefit local charities that assist women, children, and families.
Early bird shoppers are welcome at 7:30am for a $10 entry fee. After 8:30, the sale
is free to everyone, and stays open until 1:00 pm.
Parishioners Cynthia Shannon and Linda Giltner co-chair the event started 140 years
ago. “Up to 80 women of the church are involved in this tremendous effort,” Shannon
said. “We are grateful for the public support that enables us to help thousands of
individuals and families.” Giltner added, “The festive atmosphere and the spirit of giving to others reflect what our community is all about.”
Visitors are invited to tour the historic Church building and Churchyard, whether or not they shop at the Bazaar. Parishioner Albert Gooch will offer lectures about the history of St. John in the Wilderness inside the Church at 10:30 and 11:30am. Visitors can also take self-guided tours of the grounds. Volunteers will be available from 10am until noon to answer questions.
Following is some history about St. John in the Wilderness and this long-running event:
The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness began in 1836 with a donation from Charles and Susan Baring to the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. The gift
consisted of land and the Baring family chapel. With the gift, twenty members of the Flat Rock “summer colony” of part-time residents from the South Carolina low country formed themselves into the church of St. John in the Wilderness. It is the oldest parish in the Diocese of Western North Carolina.
St. John in the Wilderness holds firm to a long-standing history of community outreach at home and abroad. At least 30 ministries currently benefit from financial donations, gifts, and services as varied as orphan support in the country of Moldova to backpacks filled each weekend with food for hungry children in seven Henderson County public schools.
The fundraiser now known as “the Bazaar at St. John in the Wilderness” originated in
1880, and is organized by The Episcopal Church Women (ECW). For the past 140
years, it has been known by various names, but its focus remains unchanged: providing valuable assistance to the community. This year, the ECW honors this history with a poster design based upon the one used in August of 1900.
For more information call (828) 693-9783 or email stjohnbazaar2020@gmail.com.
