FAYETTEVILLE — If the urge to start spending some of that Christmas money has struck, the timing is right. The 31st Annual Holly Day Fair opened Thursday at the Charlie Rose Agri-Expo Center in Cumberland County.

At leastthereit's beginning to feel and look a lot like Christmas as the fair signals the start of the Christmas shopping season for many.

But don't look for only traditional gifts there. The fair offers handmade gifts with more than 250 booths filled with arts, crafts and food.

Some vendors, such as Bud Swann, come year after year. He says the organizers do a great job on this event.

Swan says the fair always draws a large crowd.

The Holly Day Fair has become the largest non-profit holiday gift and craft show in North Carolina. The cost of admission is $4.50 for adults and $2 for kids ages 5 to 12, but many people say the bargains are worth the admission price.

The Holly Day Fair usually draws in more than 25,000 shoppers, and in the past 30 years has raised more than $1.2 million for the Junior League's community programs.

Photographer:Mike Joyner