5.6 C
Niagara Falls
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Cold weather draws crowds for Etsy market Saturday

 

Residents from all over Niagara braved the cold Saturday morning to shop handcrafted items from local Etsy artisans at the Esty: Made in Canada Market at The Hare Wine Company on Niagara Stone Road.

With colder weather than artisans were expecting, the crowd remained in good spirits with warm smiles, eager to browse the handcrafted goods from 43 unique artisans. Food vendors set up shop outside the entrance to the retail space of The Hare Wine Co., where the majority of vendors displayed their wares. Ryan Treanor, owner of Trains Coffee Co., poured a steady stream of fresh roasted coffee from the coffee cart, greeting shoppers at the entrance.

The cold didn’t stop shoppers from browsing the food stands outside or making their way through the tables set up inside. The parking lot remained full all afternoon, with cars parked along the road at across the street. Karrie Bannerman, team captain for the Niagara Etsy Team, said the large crowd may have been partly caused by the colder weather.

“I think that had it been warmer we might not have had the same great turnout, because people want to garden or do some other outdoorsy things when it’s nice out.”

Calling the morning a success despite the cold, Bannerman said she was overwhelmed by the turnout by 1 p.m., expecting many more by the end of the afternoon.

“We are overwhelmed by the response and over run with gratitude and appreciation. It’s really lovely to be supported like this and to have everyone so keenly interested in supporting local and making connections with the people that they’re buying things from,” she said.

“Everyone is very happy and very appreciative, we’re having a wonderful day.”

A variety of handmade items, ranging from paper goods and home decor to jewelry and soaps, with everything in between, were on display scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday.

Etsy: Made in Canada will have another show at Mori Gardens called Hydrangeas and Handmade, held on July 6 and 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

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