In conjunction with Atikokan Trade Show, September 17-18
Jessica Smith
Are you a homesteader? Well if you hunt, fish, camp, garden, craft, cook, bake, preserve, paint or carve, you might have something to contribute to the Atikokan Trade Show’s first Homesteaders’ Fair, September 17-18 at the Little Falls Community Centre. The Centennial Museum and Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to offer an event based on a traditional country fair, only incorporating the breadth of the Atikokan lifestyle through handmade creations native to, or inspired by, our own wilderness locale.
The Homesteaders’ aspect refers to the skill employed by this area’s early settlers – and by many today – to create items from materials native to the area. The Chamber sees the Fair, and a neighbouring artisans’ sales area, as an added attraction to this year’s event.
Tables bearing a variety of handmade or grown objects from Fair contestants will be located adjacent to the artisans’ business exhibit, where around 20 home-based businesses will be selling a variety of hand-crafted arts, cosmetics and food, “it’s going to be a whole medley of different things,” said Chamber manager Jolene Wood. “This [Homesteaders’ Fair] just fits so well with the artisans; It’s all-encompassing.”
The Homesteaders’ Fair organizers invite entries in three broad categories: outdoors, home crafts and baking, and creative (decorative) crafts. Entries will be judged by local artisans, professional crafters and business owners who have expertise in a particular craft.
‘Livin’ on the Land’ is the outdoors-themed category. It includes dried and smoked game and fish, game sausage, fishing lures (jigs, flies, and spoons), taxidermy (fish mounts, birds and mammals) and one contest entry that will be a live event – the best packed packsack. Judged by a local outfitter or guide, entrants will be required to pack for an overnight camping trip, with packs judged on size, weight, appropriate gear, organization and innovation.
The ‘Down Home: Home Crafts and Baking’ category will cover decorated cakes, pies, cookies, wild berry jams and preserves, bannock, dried camp food, and hiking bars.
The ‘Inspired by Wilderness: Creative and Decorative Crafts’ theme will feature water colour and acrylic paintings, drawing, card making, scrap booking, wood turning and carving, quilting, flower arranging and gourds (pumpkin, squash and decorative or edible gourds).
Participants will pay a $2 fee for each entry (to help cover the table and set-up costs) and the top three entries in each category will earn a small cash prize and ribbon. Items must be handed in Thursday evening for judging and will remain on display throughout the two-day show (3-9 pm Friday and 9 am to 3 pm Saturday).
The Fair may serve as a stepping stone for many fledgling local crafters, who may go on to join the artisans’ exhibit in coming years, said Reilly.
Either way, having the Homesteaders and Artisans at the Trade Show is a win-win for the Chamber, said chair Michael McKinnon.
“I see this as something that adds to the show. The biggest thing is getting people to enter their work; how we can motivate them to participate.”
In addition to regular exhibitors, the Trade Show is also seeing additional interest in new types of businesses and organizations this year, said Wood. This is the first year the Chamber has hosted the event in the fall which may prove to be a less hectic time of year, making it more of a draw for businesses and attendees alike. It is also a good time for district businesses to sell the fruits of their harvest and for shoppers to get a head start on Christmas shopping, added Wood.
More details on the Homesteaders’ Fair will be available (and posted in the Progress) as plans are firmed up, said the Museum’s Catherine Reilly. In the meantime, interested contestants can contact her at 597-6585. (For more info on the Trade Show, call Wood at 597-1599.)
Reilly adds that in coming years the event will likely be expanded to include even more skills, if, as organizers hope, adding a home-grown flavour to this year’s Trade Show proves a success.
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