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Handmade in the Cariboo is back next week

Be sure to come out for one of Williams Lake’s only spring artisan markets
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Ending off April in the style on April 27 is the third Handmade in the Cariboo, one of Williams Lake’s newest artisan markets.

Handmade in the Cariboo was started three years ago to give local artisans and small business owners a chance to advertise and sell their wares in the spring.

While the fall holiday season is filled with craft fairs and sales such as the Medieval Market, the Cataline Christmas Craft Fair and Made in the Cariboo Craft Fair to name but a few, the spring and summer months have only a few.

This artisan market is organized by Leslie Mahar, the owner of the handmade business Paper Airplane, and her friend Lacey Tomlinson, a full-time teacher with SD27 who runs Something Borrowed Events on the side. Tomlinson specializes in wedding planning and event co-ordination, primarily.

Mahar is an artisan specializing in making baby blankets, bibs and scrunchies for her business, which she started at home while she was caring for her son. The thing she has enjoyed the most about business is the chance to meet new people and make friends with them.

Read More: Made in the Cariboo Craft and Artisan Fair off to a busy start

This year for Handmade in the Cariboo 38 vendors, a mix of local businesses and artisans, will be setting up shop in the Elks Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to the vendors, Mahar said they also have workshops planned throughout the day, to be held upstairs in the mezzanine, face painting run by Hattie and Amos Entertainment and Exploring the Puddle Early Learning Centre will be running the concession, made up of homemade food and drink.

“This year we have something new to offer, we’re going to be doing swag bags which some of our artisans will be contributing to. The first 25 people through the door will receive a silk-screened canvas tote filled with some goodies from local businesses and our artisans,” Mahar said.

Artisans will be selling everything from baby products to clothing, handmade soaps to wooden signs and natural cleaning supplies to dog treats, Mahar said. All in all, it’s a really good variety and range of products, she said, which as a small business owner herself she’s happy to see.

Made in the Cariboo is designed with openness and space in mind in the layout department to encourage people to come, stay a while and make a day of it.

“I think it’s really important to support local. Keep our economy going, keep money coming back in (to our community). We have a lot of really amazing talent right here in the Cariboo so it’s kind of nice to showcase that,” Mahar said.

This year admission to the event is $2 a person, with children under 12 allowed in for free.



patrick.davies@wltribune.com

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Patrick Davies

About the Author: Patrick Davies

An avid lover of theatre, media, and the arts in all its forms, I've enjoyed building my professional reputation in 100 Mile House.
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