POULSBO — North Kitsap High School’s Holiday Fest is becoming part of holiday lore for many. But as the student-run festival continues to ring its bells each November in the halls of NKHS, new shoppers discover its cheer every year.

Those attending Holiday Fest Saturday and Sunday came from various areas, but the event’s vendors, format and helpers were consistent with those of 2005. About 120 vendors brought scores of handmade merchandise to the fest, which more than 100 student volunteers helped load, unload and place.

“That’s part of the service we provide for Holiday Fest,” NKHS ASB activities coordinator Doris Ahrens said of the students’ large role in running the event. “We have kids that bend over backwards to assist the vendors.”

Students are more than willing to assist event vendors as the goods sold combine with admission prices to make Holiday Fest the NK Associated Student Body’s largest and only fund raiser of the year.

This year, Holiday Fest raised more than $27,000, of which $14,000 will be deposited into the ASB bank account, Ahrens said.

Vendors at the festival have to pay a booth fee and give 15 percent of their sales to the school, which then uses the money to pay for leadership camps for kids, student events and other school projects throughout the year. Out of this year’s balance, the NKHS ASB will also be donating seed money for Kingston High School’s ASB.

While the NKHS students earned that balance, buzzing about the rows of booths that were spread throughout the school’s commons as well as its main and auxiliary gyms this weekend, shoppers sauntered about. The aisles were filled with holiday gear and handmade goods as the festival’s standard of quality remained high.

“That’s what’s unique about our (festival) compared to others, our goods are all handcrafted, nothing manufactured is allowed,” Ahrens said.

That Holiday Fest standard assures the quality of its products while also contributing to the diversity of its vendors.

Even so, this year’s attendance was down. Ahrens said the funds raised from the event have been steadily on the decline since a pinnacle of $35,000 raised in 2001.

The school’s 2002 remodeling project shook up the event by forcing its vendors out of the gym and into the halls and its fund-raising totals also jumped out of place. Since then, the festival has been climbing back to its feet, but yet another school construction project is in the works for 2007.

“We are holding our own, it’s stable,” Ahrens said. “We’re planning on going through a remodel this coming year and we are going to look at how we are going to do the whole thing in the two gyms.”

The school remodel may have an adverse affect on the school commons next year, but Ahrens said she thinks having all of the vendors in the gym building will be beneficial for both customers and vendors.