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Mike Uncorked:
L’Arche’s Applewicks Christmas Craft Fair Celebrates 20th Year!
By Mike Butler
In my close to eleven years of writing for The Grapevine, I can’t believe I’ve never featured the Applewicks Christmas Craft Fair! This floors me because L’Arche (and the amazing folks who work there) and Christmas are two of my favourite things!
I had the pleasure of chatting with the handsome Greg Brown, Program Leader for Applewicks for almost two years now, and he filled me in on the fun things happening there and all the glitz and glamour of the upcoming craft fair. “Applewicks is the work-based program for L’Arche Homefires, located at 341 Main Street in Wolfville,” he explains. “Applewicks provides meaningful work for 15 individuals with varying disabilities and provides artisan crafts such as hand dipped candles and beeswax products, and handmade weaving products such as napkins, place mats, basket liners, bags and so much more, as well as a range of consignment items from local artists.”
This year on November 23, L’Arche and Applewicks will be celebrating their 20th Annual Christmas Craft Fair. Historically this has been an event where all of the vendors had some form of disability and it gave them a great platform to not only showcase their amazing crafts but it also gave them the opportunity to socialize and interact with the public in a really fun, busy setting. This year, as it is the 20th Annual Craft Fair, they’re going a little bigger.
“We have invited some really amazing local artisans to join our vendor list.” Greg says. “Vendors such as Will Cooper Art, Yesteryear Baking, Notts and Bows, Gram’s Needles, Wooly Way Wonders will join our regular vendors like Mr. B’s Makery, Lee’s Shop, Discoveries, CLAS, KRRC, CAPRE and many more. We will have hand woven products, candles, baked treats, incredible artworks, pottery, jewellery, bird houses, and so much more created by our talented, local artists. It’s going to be an incredible event! This year we will have a special craft room where kids can make a Christmas craft. We will also have FREE face painting and also a visit from the big man himself, Santa Claus!”
And all of this takes place at the L’Arche building on Main Street, Wolfville! The doors will open to the public at 10am and close at 3pm and admission is FREE. You will be greeted at the door by some friendly elves, a warm mug of apple cider, and a map showing where all of the 20+ vendors will be. In the main hall there will be a hot dog lunch and chili with a free will offering to the Solidarity Campaign. It is truly a really fun time to visit the building.
Applewicks will also be making an appearance at the Benjamin Bridge craft show on December 1, so it will be a great time to check out some more local artisans if you still had some shopping to do after November 23! Applewicks at 341 Main Street is also open year-round and it is a great place to pick up those last-minute Christmas gifts while supporting a really great program.
Best of Luck to everyone involved! Get out and support this great organization and happy shopping!
For more information, contact Greg at 902-542-3520 ex. 231 or at awcoordinator@larchehomefires.org.
