Holiday CARE Faire Headed To Oakton Community Center

SKOKIE, IL — A local animal rescue organization is holding its first in-person event since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Illinois on the weekend after Thanksgiving at a new location.

The Skokie-based nonprofit Community Animal Rescue Effort, or CARE, is hosting its Holiday CARE Faire from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 27 at the Oakton Community Center, 4701 Oakton St.

The pet-friendly fair is set to feature a cookie walk, pet photos with Santa, a silent auction and the debut of the CARE's 2022 "FURever Grateful" calendar, which features cats and dogs from CARE posing with frontline and public safety workers.

“The calendar project is all about building community,” Paulette Ciofani, CARE Calendar Project Manager and longtime volunteer. “And it’s about recognizing and thanking first responders and frontline workers for working through the crazy times so the rest of the world can maintain some degree of normalcy.”

All proceeds from the sale of the calendars will go toward CARE cats and dogs, organizers said.

“We've had so much fun, met so many wonderful, devoted workers and have seen so many smiles, I think the pictures will say it all,” Ciofani added. “They show that C.A.R.E. is all about community. We hope this project will encourage more people to get involved with our mission.”

Items to be auctioned include tickets, gift certificates, jewelry, art and autographed sports memorabilia. The CARE Faire is also scheduled to include the debut of the CARE Market, a collection of unique items suitable for holiday gifts, and several arts and crafts vendors.

All attendees were asked to bring pet food for adoptable pets or CARE's pet food pantry as a suggested donation for the fair. Organizers requested unopened bags of dog and cat kibble, canned food, kitten food and cat litter.

Now in its 34th year, CARE serves the North Shore communities of Evanston, Kenilworth, Glenview, Northfield, Northbrook, Niles, Morton Grove, Skokie, Wilmette and Winnetka, as well as parts of Chicago's North Side.