The Stockade was filled with shoppers and vendors from across southwestern Saskatchewan and beyond this past weekend.

Saturday marked the first time since 2019 that the Fall into Christmas Fine Art & Handcraft Market returned to Swift Current. 

"It seemed that the vendors were quite happy to be back," said Cyndi Tasche, a show manager for Fall into Christmas Fine Art & Handcraft Market. "We did have a good response from the shopping public. There was a lot of excitement over the two days.

"There were some moments when you wondered if it would work and if it would be as successful as it always had been in the past... To come back again, everyone was a little bit nervous but really pleased with the response we got from Swift Current."    

People looking to get ahead start or finish off their holiday season shopping had the chance to browse a wide selection of 103 vendors from as far away as British Columbia and Ontario.

fall_into_xmas_2Photo by Colin Powers

"I've always been able to fill it well with vendors, it's always been a sought-after show from that side of the table," she said.

Lineups of folks were waiting for the doors to open on Saturday and Sunday. While the overall attendance is unknown, Tasche believes it was around 80 per cent of what attended in 2019.

"We don't have an official count, I wish sometimes we did have a clicker that gave us immediate feedback," she said.

Even with all the rising costs of inflation, the two-day event held the line on their pricing for vendors this year. However, Tasche wonders how much longer they'll be able to stand pat on pricing.

"The rental of the facility, the rental of the drapes, the cost of advertising, all of those things have to be factored in," she said. 

Show organizers will have a better sense of next year after they set the budget.  

The show also housed the 50/50 for Change booth where 753 tickets were sold in support of the Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre. The jackpot draw happens this Friday at 2 p.m.

fall_into_xmas_4Photo by David Zammit