The annual Christmas in Paris artisan market returns for its 31st year at the Paris Fairgrounds from Friday, November 4 to Sunday, November 6.
The event, hosted by the Kindred Spirits Artisans, aims to encourage the community to shop local and support artists as they prepare for the holiday season.
Over 20 local artisans display their creations at the event each year, but one member of the group has been involved since the very beginning.
Jennifer Budd, the artist behind Woolscapes, is one of the original members of the Kindred Spirits Artisans of Paris and has watched the event grow and change since its creation in 1991.
“The event started in homes in Paris,” Budd said. “It was like a house tour. We would move our furniture and have people come to our homes. And that, of course, became more difficult as the years went on. We got a venue and here we are.”
Artistic categories this year include knitting, fibre arts, pottery, wood turnings, acrylic and watercolour painting, mixed media, resin jewellery and bead weaving, string art, silk scarves, felted objects, soaps, wreaths and much more.
For many shoppers, Christmas in Paris is the event that kicks off their holiday shopping every year. Budd said that despite being the only vendor that has been attending for the entire 30-year run, she has a number of repeat customers that have been coming since the beginning.
In past years, attendees have come from as far as Toronto and Windsor to check out the creations of local artisans.
“In the beginning, we were, you know, just a small community,” Budd said. “But the word has gotten out that if you come to Christmas in Paris, you’re going to find something really special and you’re going to meet the person who made the piece.”
The mandate of Kindred Spirits is to encourage and support the creative arts in Paris and the County of Brant. Admission into the event is just two dollars and proceeds go to further the arts in the community by providing bursaries to high school graduates pursuing a degree in the arts and by sponsoring awards for artists exhibiting at the annual Paris Fair.
The event runs from 1-9 p.m. on November 4, 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. on November 5, and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on November 6. More information can be found on the Christmas in Paris Facebook page.
