When you shop at a local craft or artisan fair, there is a really good chance that the serving platter and growler holder you just bought were made by the person on the other side of the table, and not in some factory on the other side of the world.
It’s that personal touch that makes a lot of the products that will be filling the upcoming fairs that much more interesting.
“You have that story of meeting the maker and that person is sharing all the energy and technique that goes into that object and that object has much, much more meaning,” says Gordon Hutchens, a four-decade veteran of the
, which goes next week (Nov. 9-13) at the Vancouver Convention Centre. “Every time you pick up that item or walk past that vase or interact with it, that story comes back and you remember that.”
Now bursting at the seams, this year Circle Craft welcomes 300 artisans, including 50 new vendors, to the 43rd show.
One of those newbies is Dan Emery of East Van Light. A maker of funky Edison bulb and hardwood lamps, Emery — like Hutchens — gets that the personal touch is good publicity.
“It gives me a great opportunity to talk to people who are interested in my product,” says Emery, who started his business 18 months ago. “I can let them know about me and why I am passionate about making these lamps. Tell them the story about how they all come together. People, when they bring them home, love to be able to tell the story.”
While the buyer gets a backstory the vendor, bottom line aside, also benefits from the face-to-face transaction.
“I really enjoy the stories I get back from previous customers about how that piece moved through the family or different stories related to the piece that come back to me,” says Hutchens, who calls Denman Island home.
Andrea and Robert Tucker, the folks behind the
fair on Dec 10 and 11 in North Vancouver, say fairs also tick the social box.
“People still love to meet a friend, get a coffee, walk around for 45 minutes to an hour,” says Robert, who with Andrea owns the retail store London Fields Shoppe. “They chat and shop, meet some vendors. You know, especially if you don’t do a creative job, it’s kind of neat to meet these people that may be doing something you might have wanted to have done.”
Now in its 10th year, Got Craft has 85 vendors, 35 of those are new.
So what’s big in the land of fair trade?
The Tuckers report bath and paper products will stand out in their show. Over at Olympic Village for
(Nov. 26 and 27), market manager Shal Sharma says: “Wooden products are a big trend this year and fashion is making a comeback in our market.”
Sharma also adds that from the tub to toys to togs, today’s parents want organic, handmade kids stuff.
“I’ve seen my tastes and trends change once I had a child,” says Sharma.
If you are looking for a smaller-scale show (25 vendors) that channels money back into a community of creative people, then The
fundraiser and fair on Dec. 2-4 will fit you like a custom-made sweater.
Partial proceeds and the sale of a limited edition tea towel ($12 designed by Maggie Boyd) go to support the Western Front’s programs.
“Like most craft fairs it is nice for people to sit and talk to the person that they are going to buy from, make that personal connection,” says Caitlin Jones of the Western Front. “Then they can see by talking with us (organizers) that when they are purchasing they are not only supporting that artist, but they are supporting an institution whose mandate is to also support artists, so they are doubly kind of contributing to the creative life of the city.”
And at the end of the day, a healthy city needs a healthy, creative community.
“I think very much you’ll find that these are the people that develop culture in a society,” says Paul Yard, who has been producing Circle Craft since 1984. “The artist, the actors, the crafts people — they’re the ones that create the sorts of things that make life worth living.”
Metro’s Land of Fair Trade
• Circle Craft
Nov. 9-13, Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.
Tickets: $10 to $15,
• Portobello West
Nov. 26 -27, Olympic Village.
Tickets: $2,
• Western Front Toque
Dec. 2-4, fundraiser and craft fair.
303 E. 8th Ave.
Tickets: By donation,
• Got Craft
Dec. 10-11, 115 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver.
Tickets: $5 door,
Fairs farther afield
Craft fair stalwarts say social media
and the ability to quickly pull together a community has gone a long way to boost the popularity of craft fairs.
A quick internet search reveals fairs and shows all over the province. To help you in your bid to find a unique, handcrafted item, we’ve picked 10 more fairs. For even more show listings, head to The Province and Vancouver Sun listings pages:
• Burnaby Christmas Craft Fair
, Nov. 12-13, Bonsor Recreation Centre, by donation.
• West Coast Christmas Show and Artisan Marketplace
, Nov. 18-20, TRADEX Fraser Valley Exhibition Centre, Abbotsford, $6.
• Refresh Market
, Nov, 18-19, West Coast Heritage Railway Park, Squamish, $5.
• Strathcona Winter Craft Fair
, Nov. 26, Strathcona Community Centre, $2.
• Vancouver Christmas Market
, Nov. 26-Dec. 31, Jack Poole Plaza, $4.
• Craft Affaire Holiday Market
, Nov. 26, Ocean Park Community Hall, south Surrey, $5.
• Winter Chill Market
, Dec. 2-3, Abbotsford Exhibition Park, $5.
• Coquitlam Christmas Craft
, Dec. 2-4, Poirier Forum, Coquitlam, $3.
• Make It Vancouver
, Dec. 8-11, PNE Forum, 2901 East Hastings, $3.
• Shiny Fuzzy Muddy craft fair
, Dec. 10-11, Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St., Vancouver, $3.
