The days are shorter, the air is frostier. Kids are making their lists and checking them twice, chock full of the hardest-to-find trendy toys. Between work shifts, drop-offs, and classes, on weekday evenings and weekend mornings that are anything but relaxing, holiday tunes blare loudly and sale signs beckon at every turn.
It’s that time of year again.
In malls across the city, hordes of anxious mums, head-scratching spouses, and office Secret Santas are on a mission. They are descending upon the city, credit cards in hand, searching for a gift that will say, “I love you,” or at least “I gave this some thought,” in just the right way.
Fighting over the latest electronics on Black Friday or joining packed Rideau Centre in mid-December isn’t for everyone: there’s the hassle, the crowds, and, scariest of all, the panic that sets in when indecisiveness or a lack of selection leaves those mums and spouses empty-handed.
More and more people are discovering another, cozier, side of holiday shopping. Attendance is rising at local craft shows and markets, where Ottawa artisans and craftspeople display their knitting, carvings, jewelry, candles, baked goods, and more.
It’s a setting that encourages laid-back browsing without the hustle and bustle of big box stores. Wandering down colourful aisles, shoppers will spot fuzzy mittens, hand-sculpted silver jewelry, and home-made maple fudge. If items here have tags at all, they feature stories, anecdotes, and website addresses, not barcodes.
At local craft shows, holiday shoppers get a chance to talk to the person who took the care to create each unique item.
They also get to hear about artisans’ passion for their crafts.
Yves Quinty, the president of the Capital Artisans Guild, says that most craftspeople aren’t in it for the money. They’re in it to continue doing what they love, to support their creative addiction.
Outside of weekend- or day-long craft markets, artisans’ only storefronts are often websites. Most have day jobs to make a living. So, during this gift-giving time of year, Ottawa-area artisans are participating in a craft show somewhere in the city almost every weekend, according to the Ottawa Artisans Guild.
It’s a busy time of year. A quick survey of Ottawa Valley Crafts and Collectibles Guild members shows that, on average, Ottawa craftspeople make 87 per cent of their annual revenue at shows and markets over the holiday season. The highest percentage was 95; the lowest was 78 per cent.
For those wanting to escape the dreaded last-minute crowds at malls and big box stores across Ottawa, there is a cozier, friendlier, neighbourhood option. Not only that: craft shows often donate a portion of their proceeds, or hold silent auctions, to raise money for local charities.
This holiday season, giving unique gifts to friends and family can mean giving back to the community, too.