The promise of handmade goods and baked treats brought shoppers through the doors of Grace United Church on Saturday morning as its annual holiday market returned to Victoria Street.
Many arrived looking for a small gift or a familiar seasonal flavour and found tables already thinning before mid-morning.
“I bought some shortbread cookies and a beautiful little gift basket with tea and hot chocolate,” said Marianne Johnston, visiting from Crystal Beach.
Marianne and her husband, Louis, were in town visiting family and decided to stop in after walking through the Old Town. Others at the sale said similar, noting the market has become a regular stop at this time of the year.
“When you start seeing markets like this, that’s how you know Christmas is here,” said Johnston.
Grace United hosts its annual Christmas market to raise funds for building upkeep and other community programs. Held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the sale features jams, preserves, baked goods, handmade items and a long table of gift baskets that volunteers start assembling in October.
Crowds tend to form before the doors open and many items disappear quickly. By 9:30 a.m., volunteers were already restocking what they could and directing people to new tables.
Pauline Miller, chair of the church council, said this year’s turnout exceeded expectations.
“We are overwhelmed with how many people are already here and it’s not even 10 o’clock,” said Miller.
The church aims to raise between $10,000 and $12,000 from the market. The funds support heating, lights and repairs at the 202-year-old heritage building. Volunteers also see the event as a way to introduce newcomers to the congregation.
Miller attributed the strong morning turnout to the warmer weather, noting past markets often opened in snow or heavy wind, which limited foot traffic.
Volunteers spend weeks preparing, baking in stages and jams are made throughout the year. Gift basket teams sort donated items, from mugs to decorations, into themed packages.
The results have built a reputation that keeps people returning.
“Reputation and the care in presentation,” said longtime volunteer Esther Giesbrecht when asked what brings people back every year. “That, and the shortbreads are always a hit.”
One young volunteer from Grace United carried baked goods for a customer with limited mobility to her house up on Johnson Street, a simple gesture demonstrating how the church’s volunteers look out for their neighbours.
With the market finished, Grace United is preparing to serve as a lunch stop during the Rotary Holiday House Tour starting Dec. 5. The church will offer a simple meal to visitors before turning its attention to its Christmas Eve service.
