Not even a worldwide pandemic could stop the popular Crossfield Christmas Market from going forward.
“We have some amazing community partners that have really stepped up just when we needed them,” said Cheryl Shea, market manager.
According to Shea, the planning for the Christmas market starts nearly a year in advance, right after the previous one finishes. She said she had most of the groundwork laid for this year’s iteration, but when the pandemic hit, things had to change.
“You start talking, you start dreaming and thinking about how you can make it work,” Shea said. “It almost makes me cry thinking about it. With this year, having to think about not doing this for small businesses, it couldn’t happen. We had to figure it out.”
The market will take place Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to enter. This year, three locations will host the event – the Crossfield and District Community Centre, Crossfield Baptist Church and Collicut Siding Golf Club.
“The golf course is the furthest, which is still only four minutes from the community centre,” Shea said. “With the crowds that we normally see, having the venues separated like this will really work in our favour because people can rotate and we can ensure physical distancing and monitor numbers.”
The market will feature more than 180 vendors, Shea said.
“We have everything,” she said. “You can find some spirits, wonderful baking and also find something to hang on your wall.”
To get people in the holiday spirit, the Grinch and his dog Max will be on-hand at the church, while Santa Claus will be present at the golf course. All will be photo-bombing visitors.
“We anticipate seeing a lot of funny pictures come out of this,” Shea said. “I couldn’t imagine a year without a Santa Claus photo for your photo album so we found a way to make it happen.”
As an added initiative to get market attendees to visit all locations, a postcard will be distributed at your first stop. Shea said if you manage to hit all three locations, you can fill out the postcard and enter a draw to win a gift basket.
“The reason we wanted to do this was to ensure our visitors go to all three venues because they are all going to be very special,” she said. “A lot of the prizes were donated by local businesses.”
Shea said there will be directional flow at all venues to ensure the least amount of crowding and attendees are encouraged to wear masks.
For more information, visit the Crossfield Farmer’s Market’s Facebook page.
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz
