Fredericton’s Favourite Fall Craft Vendors are Back!
The first weekend in October marked the return of the Fredericton Fall Craft Show at the Exhibition Centre on Smythe street downtown. Handmade cheesecakes and fun license plate decals lined the booths of vendors for the four days the fair was in town.
The exhibition grounds welcomed over 118 booths this year from around the province. While there was no fee to enter, the entrance to the Exhibition Centre was sectioned off into different lines to ensure everyone who entered had proper identification and proof of vaccination.
Once admitted, Fredictonians were given free range to some of the province’s best craftsmanship. Some of the many hand-crafted goods being sold this year included wooden chainsaw sculptures, custom tee-shirts, and rustic soup mixes.
The website for the craft show mandates that all items sold at the fair must be handcrafted and do not include antiques or pre-bought items that have been slightly modified to seem ‘different. Furthermore, anyone can participate in the craft show! People are encouraged to contact the website to rent an 8×8 booth costing $299 for the four-day period of the fair.
Of the 118 booths that lined this year’s show, many were run by vendors who have made it a habit of coming each year. Kitt Stevens, who runs her business Star Creations with one of her best friends, is attending the fair for the 10th time this year.
Through her passion for making wire art, Kitt has made around 80 different pieces to sell at the fair. Her work is comprised of custom wire names, tiny animal sculptures, and even a large replica of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Being back this year, after last year’s show being canceled due to COVID restrictions, means Kitt was simply happy to chat about her passion and interact with others in person again.
“They look at this and people smile. When I say it’s wire, no patterns, no jigs, nothing, they go ‘how?’ I sit and do a name and the adults are always turning their heads trying to figure out how I’m twisting the name around. You just make it like how a child is taught to print, same way.”
Of the 80 sculptures varying in size, color, and shape, one happens to be Kitt’s favorite piece to craft which is coincidentally her most popular item each year at the fair.
“Most popular? Elephants of any size. Elephants, elephants, elephants, and more elephants.”
Her elephant art is always the piece Kitt finds brings the most happiness to both her and the smiling faces of her clients. Kitt often finds herself giving away pieces for free to the wondering eyes of the occasional little kid who comes along, fascinated by her work.
While families and their young kids fell in love with Kitt’s wire art, many also gravitated towards Sherry Lee’s quilted coin purses. Lee, who is attending as a vendor for the third time, started her craft as a way to pass time after retiring.
“I retired and I needed something to keep myself busy, so I decided to go back to my hobby of sewing”.
Each purse takes Lee only a few hours to make and adds to her already expansive collection of designs. Her booth this year includes over one hundred coin purses each with a different design. Some of her favorites include her extensive collection of Disney princesses as well as many Pixar-themed purses marked by lovable Toy Story and Finding Nemo characters.
The handmade food and crafts aren’t in Fredericton for long each year. So, I urge you all to head down to the Exhibition Centre on Smythe street to see some of Fredericton’s finest while they’re still around.