Mark your calendars, Christmas shoppers, for the Arts Whistler Holiday Market returns Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 for another go-around.
Its 33rd annual go-around, to be exact. This year, look forward to a diverse mix of new and returning vendors from across British Columbia as they offer jewelry, handcrafted spirits, clothes, visual art and more. The young entrepreneurs of Bratz Biz are back too with their popular craft and face-painting station.
The Whistler Children's Chorus (WCC) is slated to liven up the Westin Resort and Spa at 1 p.m. on both days as the Whistler Singers perform Nov. 30 from 3 to 5 p.m.
All of this is music to the ears of local vendors, including Ruby Bryan of RB Pottery and wood-based artisan Rob LeBlanc.
"I had an amazing experience last year. It was one of the best markets I've done," reveals Bryan. "I tend to do about eight to 10 markets each holiday season, and this one is always the busiest. It's just put together so well … to have so many different vendors in such a small space [without making it feel] overly cramped. Arts Whistler has only got a certain quota of each field, too."
LeBlanc is entering his second stint with the Holiday Market, just like Bryan, and he too has good things to say.
"It's a really neat, festive occasion," he says. "I don't necessarily sell a lot of big art pieces at it, but you get a lot of traffic coming through. People see your art and then you get approached later."
A platform for small business
COVID-19 dealt a devastating blow to mom-and-pop businesses around the world, but huge companies like Amazon with the ability to operate remotely thrived. It's never been easier to buy things from faceless corporations, and many do so for reasons of pricing and convenience.
That's why it's all the more important for undertakings like the Holiday Market to elevate local vendors.
Bryan, for one, got back into ceramics as a hobby during the pandemic and eventually went out on a limb by relinquishing her finance career to launch RB Pottery. It was a giant risk, but support from fellow Sea to Sky denizens enables her to make ends meet doing what she loves. Nonetheless, she feels local entrepreneurs need (and deserve) all the help they can get.
"October was a really hard-hitting month for a lot of small businesses because you can just go online and buy everything, right?" Bryan says. "Markets like this Arts Whistler one give us a platform, and anybody can get involved. There's a lot of people who come through this market as customers who work in bigger hotels or have connections elsewhere, and by getting your name out there, it gives you a lot more opportunities."
Leblanc agrees, saying: "[The Holiday Market] is a great space to network in. More than one artist has told me that these kinds of events are good because it's all about making yourself familiar with your clients. Some have spent money on advertising and tried different things, but going to markets seems to be the best kind of exposure for them.
"I had some direct sales leading up to last Christmas from people who saw me at the Holiday Market."
Bryan and LeBlanc both understand their target demographic. They're attempting to reach folks who have the interest and monetary ability to purchase fine, locally-made goods rather than cheaper, mass-produced alternatives. In return for their customers' goodwill, both put serious effort into their wares.
"In the world that we live in, it's hard to go out and buy non-functional art, right?" Bryan asks rhetorically. "[Few have] the spare cash to buy a new painting to put on the wall, but [they might get] something multipurpose like a mug. It's functional, but it also has that creative aspect."
For his part, LeBlanc's artistic drive springs from his desire to rescue some of the quality wood that otherwise goes to waste as old homes, cabins, skis and kayaks get retired.
Tickets for the 2024 Arts Whistler Holiday Market cost $5 for adults and nothing for children under 10. Find them at artswhistler.com/holiday-market.
