It’s the most wonderful time of the year … to get your hands on some of the area’s best craft items.
The Country Craft Fair takes place this weekend and co-ordinator Donna Hillier admits that it usually arrives to mark the obvious change of autumn to winter. She said that it’s “the perfect way to usher in the Christmas season.”
“It’s becoming so well known, and expected!” she exclaimed. “It’s like last weekend we got the snow so that means soon Country Craft Fair has to come!”
It’s also one of the highlights of the city’s cultural calendar, especially since it comes at a very convenient time for people who are compiling their shopping lists for holiday presents. Hillier said that people could get a lot of their lists checked off in a short period of time. Of course, it’s a great opportunity for shoppers to buy themselves a gift too. She admitted that she knows this happens a lot.
“Especially for me, it does!” she admitted. “I start out with good intentions. You start out with your list for everyone and then you just find all these treasures that you happen to need. I’m a very good customer … and so is everyone there selling their stuff too.”
There doesn’t need to be any guilt from such indulgences. The fair helps to support local artists and arts programs, all at once.
The juried sale is the annual fundraiser for the St. Albert Place Visual Arts Council, also known as SAPVAC. For more than three decades, the group has promoted the city’s visual arts and crafts with resounding success. The council represents the St. Albert Potters’ Guild, the St. Albert Painters’ Guild, the Quilters’ Guild, the Paper Arts Guild, and the Floral Arts Society.
That last member makes swags of fresh greenery for people to hang on their doors. Interested consumers, she advised, should not delay in making their purchases of these very popular items.
“They have a big presence in the show. They usually are sold out by Sunday morning.”
The children’s programs at the Art Gallery of St. Albert have also co-sponsored the event. The fair will feature more than 70 exhibitors from St. Albert and the surrounding areas.
There will be a wide selection of items from bath products, home décor, seasonal ornaments, and food, plus fine art, fibre, floral, glass, jewelry, pottery, quilting and wood goods as might be expected.
SAPVAC will also be selling eco-friendly tote bags with flower still lifes painted by local artists. Each bag is a one-of-a-kind item and the sales will help to support the council. Hillier said that the city’s Botanical Arts brand is well represented by these bags.
The 29th annual Country Craft Fair runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16 and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17. Admission and parking is always free.
St. Albert Place is located at 5 St. Anne Street. To learn more about the fair or the council, please email [email protected] or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sapvac.
