Jessica Smith
In its first year as an autumn event, the Atikokan Trade Show will provide new and traditional offerings, September 17 & 18 at the Little Falls Community Centre. With close to 40 exhibits booked already, Chamber of Commerce office manager Jolene Wood is promising a “well-rounded show.”
Some new aspects this year include a few home improvement options with some solar and geothermal system installation companies, building consultants and building material suppliers attending.
There will be some big and small shopping opportunities as well, from automobiles to smaller gift and cosmetic items. Thanks to a number of home-based businesses attending this year, beauty products, jewelry, art, wood work, and crafts will offer a variety of items and tie in nicely with the new Homesteaders’ Fair, where residents can enter a variety of home made or homegrown offerings. For hunters, this may be the ideal time to get hunting knives sharpened, because a local knife-sharpening business on hand, said Wood.
There will be fun for the kids with the Funtastic Castle, and as always, there will be lots of draws and prizes available, including $100 Chamber gift certificate for each day of the event.
The Chamber and Atikokan Lions Club decided to hold the show in the fall this year, rather than the traditional springtime event in an effort to avoid competition with other regional shows, and attract more and varied exhibitors, said Wood.
“The whole reason to move it to the fall was because [the potential vendors] were so overburdened by the other shows going on,” she said. “We kind of got left hanging because we’re small compared to Thunder Bay and [other trade shows in the region] and we were told by past exhibitors that it was too difficult doing one [show] after the other. This is a much more relaxing time of year for everyone.”
Wood said there are still some booths available and non-profit groups can provide information brochures to be displayed as well. The show runs Friday, September 17, 3-9 pm, and Saturday the 18th, from 9am to 3pm. For more info, check out www.atikokanchamber.com or call Wood at 597-1599.
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