Online shopping no match to Christmas craft fairs
Online shopping has taken the world by storm while large department stores also clean up this holiday season. But not all hope is lost for local vendors.
Christmas craft shows are popular among the crowds. They help local business owners who are trying to support their families.
“It’s a great place to sell your product, it’s a great atmosphere [to] meet new people,” John Cook from JC Logo Design said.
He and his family attended the Fredericton Christmas Arts and Craft Show at the Capital Exhibition Centre.
They were not the only ones spending their weekend there, almost 90 crafters and exhibitors showcased their goods.
Tiffany Carsons handmakes every soap and bath bomb she sells with her business, The Pampered Damsel.
“[It’s] my first year here, I was here two years ago at a local market,” Carsons said.
She’s been selling her products for 15 years. Her soaps have something special in each one. Carsons’ favorite soap is called “This Little Piggy.”
“It’s super cute and has little pigs in it,” she said.
The market had a variety of different vendors, ranging from cheeses and cheesecakes to freshly picked apples, and kids hair clips – meanwhile, some kids were actually doing the selling.
Some parents sat to the side and let the kids take charge of the stands. Scrunchies and candy were popular items kids sold.
Not all the vendors went for the kid-friendly options. Tiffany’s Tipsy Treats is a boozy jam shop that sells jams with different types of liquor inside. The Apple Pie Moonshine Jam is one of the options for sale.
There’s a part two to the Christmas fair from December 6 to 8.
Cook brings JC Logo Design to craft fairs like the Christmas Arts and Craft Show to sell his Maritime Living Rocks logo on t-shirts, sweaters, hats, and other miscellaneous clothing items. He created the logo to show how proud he and his family are to be Maritimers. Cook said the market allows bonding time for he and his wife Lynn, and two daughters, Emily and Ashley.
“[It’s a great place to] bring the family and spend time out,” Cook said.
The first part of the show occurred from November 8 to 10