Children scramble up bleachers to test out new musical instruments in Mrs. DiMartino’s first-grade music class at Placitas Elementary School.
On this day, mandolin player Barb Belknap lines up with them not to perform but to deliver about $1,000 earmarked for art and music supplies at the school. The money was raised by a raffle at the 2024 Fourth Annual Placitas Holiday Market, held in part at Placitas Winery, co-owned by Belknap and her husband Ty.
The donation will be channeled through the school’s parent-teacher organization.
The 28 artisan vendors who sold their wares at the Winery during the community-wide event worked in paint, glass, fabric, photography, chocolate, jam, and other media. Each vendor generously contributed an item to the raffle covering a range of prices. At six other Placitas locations during this annual event, vendor fees benefited other charities and agencies.
“The support from the community for the elementary school is really quite astounding,” the school’s art teacher said. “This community wants its little artists to flourish.”
Keeping with the long-time tradition of an earlier annual Placitas event, the Placitas Holiday Market is always held on the weekend before Thanksgiving.