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Orangeville Christmas Market returns this Saturday

November 22, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

A sure sign that the holiday season has returned is the many festive craft markets held throughout Orangeville.

An instant classic that’s grown exponentially since its inception in 2017 is the Orangeville Christmas Market, which is returning to the Orangeville Fairgrounds (247090 Side Rd 5, Mono) this Saturday (Nov. 20) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Vendors will be featuring a variety of handmade and craft goods.

“I think this event will definitely get you in the holiday spirit,” said Melissa Lackey, one of the event’s organizers. “With the last two years being so focused on COVID… I think this is a great opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate shopping local and supporting small business.”

There is a $2 cost to enter in lieu of a non-perishable donation due to COVID-19, which is being donated to the Orangeville Food Bank. In 2019, 2,000 lbs of food and nearly $1,000 in donations was collected.

Due to COVID-19, the market couldn’t be held in 2020, so organizers are very excited to bring the event back this weekend.

“Last year, we were in the process of actually taking over the whole fairgrounds and hosting over 300 vendors, but with COVID, it definitely derailed us, which was disappointing,” said Lackey. “This year we’ve had to scale it back a little, but hopefully in the future years to come, we can implement all the big ideas that we are hoping we can present to the community.”

When the event started four years ago, Lackey said it was held in her living room, with just eight vendors. To watch the Orangeville Christmas Market grow exponentially over the years has been incredibly rewarding, she added.

Nearly 150 vendors will be set up to sell their wares during the market, with 100 of them inside and 48 outside, offering shoppers the option to remain outdoors if they don’t feel comfortable indoor shopping, due to the pandemic.

“We have lots of handmade stuff, anything from knitting to baked goods,” said Melissa Lackey. “We have some of our local favourites from around here, like Bridal Wood Soaps, More Than Just Baskets will be there.”

There will be an array of festive décor on display as well, for those looking to soon decorate their home for the holidays.

“It’s always nice to get sort of unique pieces at Christmas that are handmade and locally sourced and from a small business rather than the big box stores all the time,” said Lackey.

In addition to a variety of local vendors, there will be a kids musical theatre performance at 11 a.m. and a visit from Santa Claus at 12 p.m.

Organizers decided against again running a carnival of free activities for youth as they did in 2019, since COVID-19 is still circulating in the community. Lackey says they’re hoping to bring everything back in 2022.

The event is rather large in size, with 1,200 people through the door in the first 30 minutes of the Orangeville Christmas Market in 2019, so there may be a bit of a lineup to enter, due to COVID-19 screening protocols, Lackey warned.

That year, the event was listed in the Top 10 Christmas Festival Markets outside of Toronto by BlogTO.

“It does get a lot of traction, it’s something people are looking forward to each year,” said Lackey.

“The nice thing is that there will be the outdoor portion as well as the indoors.”

The event runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Orangeville Fairgrounds, which are located at 247090 Side Rd 5, Mono.

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