Once a teacher, always a teacher.

It didn’t take long after Sophia Compton’s retirement from a Bay Area college and subsequent move to Lawrence that the former professor of philosophy found herself teaching again.

A self-taught textile artist, Compton has sold her handpainted silk scarves and felted accessories through local arts-and-crafts fairs since relocating to Lawrence five years ago.

For Compton, events like Saturday’s Holiday Extravaganza are all about “the personal contact with people and the ability to explain what I do, because it’s not obvious to everyone,” says the environmentally conscious 69-year-old of her earth-friendly wares. “It’s a form of education.”

Compton is one of about 140 vendors from across the Midwest participating in the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department’s annual show, which for the second year is being held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, 100 Rock Chalk Lane.

Like 2014’s event, this year’s Holiday Extravaganza is “maxed out” with 30-plus artists on the wait list, says Duane Peterson, Parks and Rec special event supervisor.

“You can find a little bit of something for everybody,” says Peterson, who expects prices to range from $5 all the way up to $100. “This is bringing families together, and that’s what the holiday season is all about.”

What distinguishes the sale from other similar events is its mix of commercial vendors and artists, he says. Handcrafted goods make up the majority of merchandise, however, with everything from ceramics, holiday decorations and paintings to furniture, greeting cards and Compton’s textile art being offered up this year.

Compton, who has also taught workshops locally at Lavender House, the Lawrence Senior Center and Lawrence Creates Makerspace, will have plenty on hand Saturday, including her handmade scarves, bags, silk art pieces and checkbook cases.

A self-described “child of the ’60s,” she first dabbled with “Earth-oriented crafts” as a young mother in northern California, where she raised sheep, sheared their wool and wove it into fabrics. These days, she’s pursuing her hobby full-time using ecologically grown fibers and natural dyes while avoiding synthetic materials.

“It’s always been something that’s very important to me, and all my work is done with a very strong ecological conscious,” Compton says. “I think that if artists and people in general don’t have a sense of caring for the Earth, it won’t be there for future generations.”