DOWAGIAC — While there will be plenty of special deals and holiday-themed fun on tap in downtown Saturday, Front Street will not be the only happening place in town this weekend.

The Theta Mu Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority will be hosting its 21st annual Arts and Crafts Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Dowagiac Middle School, at 57072 Riverside Drive. The event is being hosted in conjunction with Dowagiac Christmas Open House Weekend, which takes place Friday through Sunday downtown.

This year’s craft show is the largest yet, with more than 100 crafters and vendors expected to be in attendance, organizers said. Visitors may expect to find an impressive array of different items, including:

• Christmas wreaths, decor and ornaments

• Handcrafted soaps and lip butters

• Handmade jewelry

• Doll clothes and furniture

• Wooden signs and carvings

• Pet items

• Photography

• Pottery

• Christmas sweatshirts

• Repurposed furniture

• Candles

• Crochet items

In addition, vendors from companies such as Scentsy, Mary Kay, PartyLite Candles, Lularoe, Pink Zebra, It Works, Paparazzi, Perfectly Posh, Thirty One, Lipsense, UsBorne Books, Pampered Chef, Young Living, Keep Collective, Tastefully Simple, Norwex and Premier Designs Jewelry will be selling items during the show. Food items, including cheese balls from the Beta Mu Sorority and meat products from Wright Farms, will be available for sale as well.

Those who develop an appetite while doing their shopping may purchase lunch from Theta Mu members, who will be selling homemade soup, sloppy Joes, chicken salad sandwiches and hotdogs during the event.

The craft show serves as a fundraiser for Beta Mu, a local chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, a national service organization. The event was started by current sorority president Sherrie File and member Sharon McCartney 21 years ago, both of whom were crafters who frequented shows across the area.

“It [our sorority’s first show] was a big hit,” File said. “We started at the armory and then we moved it to the high school, then the middle school. It’s such a nice venue for us.”

Saturday’s show will span throughout the school, including the hallways, atrium and cafeteria, File said. Vendors will hail from across the area, with one even traveling all the way from Oregon to attend, File said.

“We have people who come from all over, because they know it’s a good show,” she said.

New this year, guests will have a chance to purchase tickets for a special raffle the sorority is hosting. For $1 for one ticket or $5 for six, people will be entered in a drawing for one of three specially made puzzle art pieces, made and framed by File’s father, Don Toy.

Proceeds from the raffle will go toward Cass County Cancer Services, a local nonprofit that assists people fighting the disease in the local area.

For more information about the event, people may contact File at (269) 580-2331.