Southampton - Shopkeepers in the village of Southampton are seeing green for the holidays as 19 local vendors showed off their eco-friendly wares Monday night at Rogers Memorial Library to encourage East End shoppers to not only buy local this holiday season, but to do their part for the environment by giving sustainable products to family and friends.

Hildreth's, a Main Street mainstay, stocks items made of natural resources, like beeswax candles.

"You can be green by supporting local artisans," offered Glorian Berk, member of the Green and Involved Now (GAIN) environmental group hosting the Green Gift Fair. Aware of the green movement, Berk acknowledged, "Knowing about this program, shopkeepers are stocking sustainable things."

At the Hildreth's Department Store table, creative director Kathryn Letson displayed green items the Southampton mainstay has carried for years, including beeswax candles and cashmere knits, as natural fibers are less harmful to the environment. According to Letson, she also added many bamboo products, which she said are extremely durable and strong while still being a renewable resource since bamboo grows extremely fast.

When asked if sustainability would be a draw to shoppers this season as the economy tightens, Letson commented, "It's not as much about being appealing to customers as it is about being responsible. We really are trying."

Spencer Wright creates custom bicycles that he said he hopes will encourage residents to ride their bikes everyday.

According to Letson, for the past three months Hildreth's has also participated in a "ban the bag" contest, in which every shopper that forgoes a shopping bag or uses their own reusable bag when purchasing items from Hildreth's, is eligible to win a large gift basket, courtesy of the store. Letson added that the department store has already saved approximately 170 bags thanks to the program.

Debbie Spring, of Southampton Christmas Lights, Inc., was also on hand to display the newest technology in holiday lighting - light-emitting diode, or LED lights - which are 90 percent more energy efficient than regular holiday lights residents will be using to decorate their homes in the coming weeks.

According to Spring, the new lights are similar to florescent bulbs, yet do not warm as quickly, and do not break, since the light it emitted from inside the plastic casing. Spring added that the lights are guaranteed to last for seven to 10 years, and can be plugged in up to 62 sets at a time, whereas standard lights can only be plugged in six sets at a time without blowing a fuse in your home. Every year, Spring said, new styles are introduced, including reproductions of the classic large colored glass bulbs beloved by so many. "They are a little more expensive because they are new to the market," she noted. "But they are cost efficient [over time]."

However, not all vendors were on hand simply for the holiday season, and many displayed items for use year-round. According to Noel Hare, of Herrick Hardware, his store regularly stocks environmentally friendly products, since there has been a demand for them in Southampton for some time. Items like natural cleaning products, non-hazardous bird repellents and energy efficient light bulbs are items the store stocks all year round.

In addition, Spencer Wright, manager and owner of Traffic Bikes, builds custom bikes for East End residents in hopes of promoting bike riding as a viable means of transportation. According to Wright, the areas of the country more inclined to support serious biking communities are in northern California and Oregon, yet it's a way of life he hopes to inspire on the East End. "The market is geared toward recreation, and bikes are considered a luxury," Wright offered. "I'd rather be making bikes that people use every day."

LED lights are 90 percent more energy efficient than regular holiday lights.

Although it's only the first time the Green Gift Fair has been held, the GAIN committee estimates that it will become an annual event. With the help of the library, and the participation of local shops, the committee was able to offer vendors free space to advertise their wares, in the hopes of creating a platform for residents of Southampton, and all of the East End, to find and support a sustainable and eco-friendly market.