EGLON — Filled with the smells of spices, sugar and baking dough, the Eglon Schoolhouse, now a community meeting place, welcomed residents from the neighborhood to warm up, enjoy a cinnamon roll and do a little early Christmas shopping Saturday. For nearly 80 years, neighbors in the small community near Hansville have been congregating at the schoolhouse to celebrate the Christmas season, and this year was no different.

With snow just beginning to fall in the North End, friends and family flocked to the celebration and bazaar, bringing with them baked goods, wares and stories to share.

“I’m really enjoying it, it’s a fun small town, small community,” said Kingston resident LouAnn Buff. “I live in Kingston and I’ve been at this for a couple of years. I know some people who do this, and so I came out here. It’s a lot of fun to see friends.”

Since the historic event began, one of the facets holding the whole thing together has been the baked goods made specially by residents in the area. Among the top of most bazaar-goers’ lists are the cinnamon rolls baked every year, and is sometimes the main reason Eglon residents stop by the bazaar. Later in the day, pies and cookies graced the tables for residents to purchase and either snack on or save for later.

“Absolutely, we love it,” said Hansville resident Sheryl Raber. “Oh no, we’ve been coming every year for several years. We come for the coffee and cinnamon rolls and seeing all of our friends. I look forward to the cinnamon rolls every year.”

“I definitely enjoy the friends,” added Kingston resident Lydia MacFadden, who had accompanied Raber. “It’s a chance to see them.”

Both MacFadden and Raber’s daughters had tables at the bazaar, selling different items to shoppers. Aside from the cinnamon rolls, cookies and pies, the next largest draw of the event were the different entrepreneurs, who only come to Eglon once a year. About a dozen vendors were spread out over the main room of the schoolhouse, peddling gift ideas — everything from fleece handbags to holiday decorations — for under the Christmas tree, and giving residents present ideas for their family members. Hansville resident Melissa Gienow had her business, Hansville Handstirred Soap, set up at one end of the room with a plethora of sweet smelling soap bars perfect for stocking stuffers. She said they are made from all organic materials, nothing chemically or synthetically based included in the ingredients.

“Well, this is the first time I’ve done this bazaar,” she said. “It’s very nice. I live in Hansville, and I drive by here all the time during the year. So far the people have been fantastic.”