Pick up something special for mom from a local creator this Mother’s Day
This past year and a half, shopping local and supporting our community has been on the minds of many Canadians. Luckily, the many talented artists in our community can help with that this Mother’s Day as the Interlake Artists Collective(IAC) is hosting a Mother’s Day Market on May 3 at the St. Andrews Community Club.
The idea behind the market was to celebrate not just local artists but local creators of all sorts.
“It all started when I bought a bar of soap at a Christmas market this past December, and the soap was just so phenomenal. I actually bought a couple of bars and went to leave one by my front door because it smelled so nice. I wanted my house to smell like that. I thought, ‘You know what? What a great gift and handmade.’ And I know that people do markets with handmade (goods) all the time, so I wanted to organize a market that wasn’t just like everything else. I wanted it to feel more like an experience. And so, I imagined walking into a space that was filled with things that smell beautiful, and they feel good, and they look amazing. It’s a little bit different than the usual market, because I wanted it to be about engaging your senses and creating something that’s memorable,” said Patti Simko, coordinator of the IAC Mother’s Day Market.
The Mother’s Day Market takes place on May 3 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
As Simko explained, the environment of the market is something that she wanted to put a lot of effort into.
“We’re going to take the walls and put this beautiful, soft white fabric around the walls and have lights so that we can create kind of boutique style spaces. In the community club, there’ll be some tables, but there’ll also be some like boutique little tents. So, that’s a little bit different. We’re trying to create an atmosphere,” she said.
In addition to making the place sparkle, Simko is also making the space fun with local music. November Underground is going to be performing starting at 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., and they will also have a booth where fans can check them out.
“One other thing we’re going to do is we’re offering free tea and cookies because we want to make it a whole little experience,” said Simko.
The market, taking place at the St. Andrews Community Club, also means that the canteen at the venue will be open for vendors and community members alike who want a bite.
“I want (people who stop by) to be able to sit down and relax and enjoy the music, and just encourage people to slow down a little bit and enjoy the space. That’s one of the things that I want to do with this market, I wanted to make it something that feels a bit special and intentional,” she said.
As residents probably know, the IAC is the group responsible for the 16×20 art show, which take place annually. Though this is a new endeavour for them, they are still focused on having high-quality local products made by people from the area for residents to check out at this market.
There will be 14 vendors with a variety of products from flowers, to artwork, to soap and more to choose from.
Simko says that people of all ages, not just moms or people shopping for their moms, will likely find some fun things to look at.
“I’d love to see kids come with their moms or their grandmas. It’s open to absolutely everyone, all ages. Yeah, I think there’ll be something for everyone, because there’ll be lots. The price points are kept purposely reasonable. I want it to be a market where everybody has the opportunity to come in, have a cookie, a cup of tea, sit down, listen to music, and walk out the door with a treasure,” said Simko.
Admission is free. Keep up wth the IAC at www.instagram.com/interlakeartistcollective.
