If you need to get a leg up on your Christmas shopping, Sycamore’s Pumpkin festival is offering a valuable opportunity to do so.

This weekend is the 21st annual Sycamore Music Boosters Antique, Craft and Flea Market, occurring between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 30-31. The show is being held at Sycamore High School located on Rte. 23 and Spartan Trail Road in Sycamore.

The event will offer patrons 155 booths with a vast array of crafts, antiques and trinkets.

The required donation to enter the show is $1.50 for adults, 50 cents for students kindergarten through high school, $1.00 for senior citizens and children under 5 are free.

Bev Smith, coordinator of the event said, “The show is a really great place to do holiday shopping.”

The market originally began in 1972 as a Band Booster program to help support the music program for kids. Since its conception the market has become quite large. The funds generated by the market purchase musical instruments and uniforms, support college music scholarships for Sycamore residents and pay for private music lessons among other things.

Some of the highlights of this year’s market are a large variety of quality crafts, handmade wood products, spices, stained glass, homemade candies and baked goods, woolen products, antiques, collectibles, mini-trinkets and treasures.

Vendors at the market come from all around the midwest and as far away as Florida. Some of the vendors even perform demonstrations of their craftsmanship and will personalize items right on the spot.

“The prices at the show are very reasonable and the variety of items offered is tremendous,” Smith said.

Homemade pies, BBQ items and cider are among the goodies you will be able to find in the cafeteria at the event.

The show is run by 250 adult and student volunteers. Every year the show draws between 15,000 and 18,000 people.

There will be a shuttle bus which runs continuously between the festivities being held in the downtown area and the high school. The price of the bus will be 50 cents each way. Smith said there will be free stroller parking at the market but no strollers will be let inside.