The 37th annual Studio Fair, Northern B.C.'s finest professional artisan fair, will be held at the Civic Centre today through Sunday.
Presented by the Prince George & District Community Arts Council, this event is known for bringing together more than 90 unique vendors from all over Canada. This is the perfect opportunity for Prince George residents to get started on their Christmas shopping for those one-of-a-kind items.
Not only will customers be offered unique food and gift items, but a lucky someone will walk away with a major door prize as well. The Community Arts Council's Artist in Residence, Corey Hardeman, will create artwork that will be given away to some lucky Studio Fair attendee.
It will be a piece that she will be working on throughout the fair at the arts council's booth located in the foyer of the Civic Centre, so people will be able to see the work in progress.
"People are welcome to talk to Corey about the artist in residence program and her own artwork," said Lisa Redpath, project manager for the CAC.
"There's always new vendors and this year we're looking at Half Baked Cookie Company from Whistler and they have gourmet shortbread cookies," said Redpath. "We have BC Coastal Grilling Planks and they have seafood and we have the Dundarave Olive Company that's offering flavoured olive oil. We have AJ Gourmet coming to us and they do gourmet salsas and Lakeside Country Harvest with dried fruits, so we've really bumped up our food artisan section this year with all the favourites returning, like The Fishery, Untamed Feast, Tickleberries and more."
Pook Toque will be coming back with their stylized work sock hats and other items created from the Canadian classic work sock. Granville Island Soap Gallery is coming for the first time, there will be lots of jewelry vendors, and local artisans Melanie Desjardines, Cara Roberts, and wood carver, Keith Carlson, all have booths at the fair as well as the many guilds of the Community Arts Council.
It takes hundreds of volunteers to put the fair together each year. Volunteers assist the vendors with loading product into the Civic Centre as well as assembling booth space. During the long hours of the fair while vendors are at their booths, they are offered respite and relief by the Water Angels who bring water around and will sit at a vendor's booth while they grab a coffee or take a bathroom break.
"We couldn't do it without all our dedicated volunteers," said Redpath.
Studio Fair goes Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and under 12 are free.
