For the ninth year, Airdrie Farmers’ Market (AFM) will conclude its calendar with the Airdrie Christmas Show Nov. 1 and 2 at the Town and Country Centre.
“The Airdrie Christmas Show is a way for some of those vendors to kick off their Christmas season,” said Candice Kolson, AFM manager.
The show – which runs Nov. 1 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 2 – will feature primarily food items, she said, ranging from baking to party trays to savoury snacks to artisan liquor and spirits. As a farmers’ market, Kolson said, events hosted by AFM tend to draw more food vendors than other markets that take place at this time of the year.
The show will also feature other homemade items like Christmas ornaments, jewelry and other gift options, she said.
“People start to host very early in November, as far as Christmas parties, events, that kind of thing,” Kolson said. “We try to have [the Christmas Show] fairly early so we can kick off that season strong for some of those vendors.”
Much of what’s available will be equally delicious served immediately or frozen and pulled out closer to the holidays, she said. Many of the vendors will also fulfill orders throughout the holiday season, making the Airdrie Christmas Show a great opportunity to sample items and pick favourites for later.
The event will feature food trucks outside the building, while 60 vendors will offer their goods inside. Kolson said the market attracts vendors from Airdrie and elsewhere in the Calgary area, including as far away as Medicine Hat and Rocky Mountain House.
“We try to pull from all over,” she said. “We don’t just limit to one area, because we think there’s a lot of really awesome, unique small businesses that can benefit from coming into our community.”
AFM asks shoppers to bring a donation to the Airdrie Food Bank as admission to the show. The food bank will have its van parked outside the Town and Country Centre to collect donations, Kolson said, adding, as a business that primarily deals in food, AFM felt the connection to the food bank was obvious.
“That’s why we picked the food bank, because we thought, ‘that’s kind of what we do, that’s the business we’re in, so that’d be a great organization to support,” she said.
Kolson said an average of $5,000 of both cash and food is raised yearly at the show, and she expects this year will be no different.
With craft markets occurring more frequently in the lead up the holidays, she said, the Airdrie Christmas Show is just one more way residents can support local and small businesses.
“When you’re shopping locally, when you’re supporting small business, you’re supporting your neighbour…. Its really important to support them because without our support, they wouldn’t be around,” Kolson said.
