Our Best to You Spring Craft Sale has returned to Red Deer for a second year.
Over 150 Canadian artists, artisans and designers have filled the Parkland and Prairie Pavilions at Westerner Park and will be there today until 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Christmas is all about shopping for that special someone, shopping for someone else. But spring, you’re shopping for you,” said Etienne Dale, communications manager with Signatures Shows Ltd. that also operates a long-running and very successful fall show in Red Deer.
He said shoppers may have spotted something for themselves at the fall show and returned to get it. Or maybe they want to pick something up for Mothers or Father’s Day.
Signature’s first spring show went very well in Red Deer in 2017, he said.
“I think people in Red Deer are very passionate about shopping local and supporting small business. That’s why we’re so successful year after year.”
Exhibitors include 29 Alberta businesses with handmade wares, including three from Red Deer, and six provinces are represented.
Dale said every business goes through a rigorous jury process to join the show and more applications are coming in from Red Deer artisans.
“We have to make sure the quality and originality of their work is at a certain level. We also try not to over saturate the categories.”
Silversmith Megan Jones, of Calgary, grew up in Red Deer and said she likes returning to her home town with her jewelry company Mackenzie Jones.
“The community is really good because I grew up here and having the friends and family I feel like everyone’s really welcoming and supportive here. I travel all across Canada and to be able to bring my wares home is pretty cool,” Jones said.
Al Obrigewitch, of Souptacular from St. Albert, said shoppers appreciate the convenience of their dry legume soup mixes that are high fibre and low sodium with no fat.
“People are wanting to eat more grains, simpler food really. Young people like to eat healthy it seems now,” Obrigewitch said.
He said lentils are grown in Alberta and Saskatchewan so people should be eating them and their soup mixes help to encourage people to shop for lentils to add to their diet.
“We’ve always eaten this way. We’ve always eaten lentils,” Obrigewitch said.
Angela TerMarsch, of Empurpled Wares of Vancouver Island, who was building a sculpture in her booth, encouraged visitors to touch her weatherproof sculptures.
