Although shops in Calgary raise a few eyebrows when they begin to decorate the second after Hallowe’en, the festive season in Calgary usually begins in earnest after people pay their respects to veterans and fallen soldiers on Remembrance Day (November 11th).
This is the big time of year for artisans and craftsmakers — where all the imagination, hard work and time they’ve poured into their unique and quality creations comes to fruit.
![](http://www.sprucemeadows.com/gallery_pic/1316541390090_Xmas2_0030.jpg"> "Frank")
Spruce Meadows International Christmas Market features events for the whole family. [Photo credit: Mike Sturk Photography]
Venues around the city and surrounding townsites vie with each other to prepare unique and entertaining marketplace settings to attract visitors and shoppers. In addition to a wide variety of booths, most of them feature seasonal entertainment, catered food courts and events like visits from Santa or sleigh-rides in the snow (or hay-rides if a warm Chinook wind whisked all the snow away.) A general admission covers the cost of the venue and entertainment.
The largest of these events are not dedicated solely to local artisans and craftsmakers. Some of them are, like the ACAD student show and Bragg Creek Artisan Fair (listed below.) But the really big events mostly feature work from farther afield. So, if you’re dedicated to the 100-mile principle of supporting local economies and smaller regional businesses, you would be better off with studio tours and affiliate gallery shows. That said, the advantage the larger shows have is quantity and variety, and quite a lot of the exhibitors are Canadian, if not Calgarian.
If you like to turn your Christmas shopping into more of an adventure, though, don’t be afraid of driving off to Bragg Creek or the Leighton Centre, or taking in some student work at ACAD.
Here are some of the best on offer:
SPRUCE MEADOWS INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS MARKET at Spruce Meadows Exhibition Hall. November 18th – 20th and November 25th – 27th.
Exhibitors come from all over the world, so this is not a local craftsmakers only event by any means. That said, some local artisans and certainly, many Canadian craftsmakers do rent space for their wares, and with the economy in its present state, it’s better to support these industries.
Booths feature art, crafts, apparel and food, both for enjoying onsite or ready for gift baskets. Musicians, dancers and other entertainers perform onstage, and carol singers wander through the crowd. Ice carvings, fire pits and other entertainments are available outdoors.
General Admission costs $8.00
Seniors and children 12 and under are free.
A 6-time multipass can be purchased for $20.
8011 Spruce Meadows Way, SW (off the Marquis de Lorne Trail)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2J 5G5
The Red Arrow Express provides free transportation from the Somerset/Bridlewood LRT station (the last stop on the southward LRT line.)
ALBERTA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN SALE OF STUDENT WORKS
ACAD’s student works range the gamut of jewellery, ceramics, glassmaking, prints, photographs and paintings. Hundreds of pieces are on offer from every department of study in ACAD.
The show runs Thursday, 24th November, from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm;
Friday, 25th November, from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm;
and Saturday, 26th November, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
It gets very busy, so try to make it there early for the best selection.
There is no admission fee, and accepted forms of payment are cash, debit, Visa and Mastercard.
1407 – 14th Avenue, NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
T2N 4R3
FESTIVAL OF CRAFTS:
The Festival of Crafts show is an exhibitors tour event. Artists and craftsmakers sign up and pay a booth rental fee to a promoter, who rents venues and buys advertisements in various different locations in Canada. As with the Spruce Meadows event, there is no indication how many of the craftsmakers are local.
It is held at the BMO Centre in Stampede Park, a huge exhibition hall, and there are hundreds of small companies, producing almost every type of craft you can dream of, signed up.
Thursday, 1st December, 2011 – Sunday, 4th December, 2011
Thursday 10:00 am – 9:30 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 9:30 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
The BMO Centre is part of the Stampede Grounds complex, and probably one of the easiest to find venues in all of Calgary. The Victoria Park LRT station lets you off almost right at the door, but if you plan to drive, be sure to reserve some money for parking.
Admission Fees:
Adults $7
Seniors (65+) $5 Youths (13-17) $5
Free for children 12 and under unlimited free
re-admission
BRAGG CREEK ARTISAN MARKET:
The Bragg Creek Christmas Craft Sale is a wonderful excuse to drive out and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the eastern Rockies 20 minutes south of Calgary. Bragg Creek, on the Elbow River, a beautiful village surrounded by pine forests close to the McLean Creek Recreational region of the Kananaskis. If Allan Bill pond is frozen, there is usually a skating rink cleared near the picnic tables, and Elbow Falls lose none of their beauty. Cross-country trails abound, and then, there is this wonderful craft fair to enjoy.
It runs:
Saturday, 19th to Sunday, 20th November, 2011
from 10 am to 5 pm daily at the Bragg Creek Centre,
23 White Avenue
Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada
T0L 0K0
(Google-Earth Coordinates: 50° 56′ 59.63″ N 114° 33′ 42.61″ W)
LEIGHTON ART CENTER:
Sadly, the Leighton Art Centre near Priddis celebrated its 2012 Christmas in the Country Art Sale extra early this year, (on November 4th – 6th, and the Remembrance Day Long Weekend), but the Fall into Winter Art Exhibition and Sale continues until the 16th December, 2011. The center, itself, is in a gorgeous wooded area of the foothills just south of Calgary, and well worth the drive, if you can get out.
You may also want to take part in a wonderful one-day Beeswax Candle-Making Workshop with Mechthild Reinders, which includes a variety of candles, including chandelier tapers appropriate for a Chanukah Menorah.
Saturday, 26th November, 2011
10 am – 4 pm
$65 + GST ($70.)
Leighton Weaving Studio
Driving to the Leighton Centre is an adventure. Fortunately, they provide excellent downloadable directions on their website.
Good luck with your shopping, and may your days be merry and bright!
