ESTEVAN - The Estevan Kinettes' Craft Sale was held Saturday at the Wylie Mitchell Building.
A few hundred people have already attended it, and the organizers hoped to see many more people out, as the sale continued until 4 p.m.
Janelle Luddington, who spearheads the Kinettes' Craft Sale, said by 10:40 a.m. they already had over 200 visitors.
"It's the community's kickoff to Christmas. And we are very thankful for everyone who has come out because you never know with the restrictions what's coming up," Luddington said. "It was great to have the community support again. We were worried, with the needing the proof of vaccine or a negative test, how that would play out. But Estevan always delivers. It's a great community to be there to help us."
The 39th annual Craft Sale saw some minor changes. In previous years the event used to occupy two buildings – the Wylie Mitchell Building and Estevan Exhibition Hall. This year they stopped with one.
The original plan was to do the two, but then it was decided to adjust the event to ensure everything works accordingly with the demand. While there are a bit fewer booths participating, the Kinettes still ensured there is a great variety of vendors present.
"We have 49 booths that were filled. And we were very thankful to get the 49 groups. In the last couple of years, we've had 70. But just with COVID, and everything and the new restrictions, we were thankful to have the 49," Luddington said.
The one-day event, which always takes place on the third Saturday of November, takes many hours throughout the year to plan, but from year to year, it's been a great attraction for the community.
When it comes to vendors, the Kinettes do their best to diversify the market to keep it interesting for both sellers and customers. Back in the day, most participants were home-based businesses, while this year, they only had seven such participants.
"It's nice to see the crafting is on the rise. The pandemic probably helped everyone with that, so did Pinterest, but it's been really good," said Luddington.
The Craft Sale, which takes place at the same time as the hospital foundation's Festival of Trees, is the Kinettes' fundraiser, and every year all funds raised through the event go towards St. Joseph's Hospital.
"It always goes towards the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation. It helps with our naming rights and getting new equipment for the maternity ward," explained Luddington.
She added that they are grateful for the support from the community and volunteers.
"I thank the community for their help and their support of us over the years," Luddington said.
