Craft fairs are back in 2021!
Most of the usual pre-Christmas craft fair circuit was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But lovers of artisan Christmas gifts and treats can rejoice this year as many are returning in 2021.
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Christmas Chaos, long the biggest craft fair in the Cowichan Valley, is back on Nov. 18-21 at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan.
Browse tables and booths full of food, art, crafts and more on Thursday, Nov. 18 from noon to 7 p.m. (the first hour is limited to those in wheelchairs, seniors and those with strollers), Friday, Nov. 19 from noon to 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There will also be a Santa’s Workshop for kids, and daily raffles.
Masks are required to attend the event.
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Also on the craft scene, the Fiesta World Craft Bazaar is back on Nov. 13 and 14.
The Bazaar will feature handcrafted fair trade products from Asia, Africa, Central and South America.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, at Queen Margaret’s School in Duncan, located at 660 Brownsey Ave.
“You will find something for everyone on your list, from toys to carpets, you will be amazed at the variety,” said a press release for the event. “The vendors come from the Lower Mainland, Victoria, and up the Island. There will be stores that source products from around the world or individuals who are selling items from a particular country and community. It will make you feel good to know that you are giving a hand up to people who have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. Most of them rely on tourism to sell their wares and travel has come to a halt. They are so grateful that we are back in business and giving them an opportunity to make some money. Many of the vendors are volunteers and have direct contact with the families.”
Masks and vaccine passports will be required to attend.
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Join the Cowichan Valley Naturalists’ Society on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. to learn about the unsung climate hero commonly known as eelgrass (Zostera marina), says a press release for the online event.
Nikki Wright of Seachange Marine Conservation Society will talk about the many benefits of this underwater plant, including the storing of ‘blue carbon’, shoreline protection and forage fish habitat. The Cowichan Estuary is an example of many estuaries along the B.C. coast undergoing transformation in hopes that these systems will once again regain health. Everyone is welcome to attend this presentation and learn why it’s important to protect and restore this hard-working marine plant, and get an update on its status in Cowichan Bay. Email cvns@naturecowichan.net for the Zoom link.
Nikki Wright has served as the executive director of SeaChange Marine Conservation Society since 1998. SeaChange is a non-profit charitable society working with community partners on marine education, conservation and restoration in the Salish Sea and B.C. In 2000, 1,800 eelgrass shoots were transplanted in Tod Inlet, a small inlet of Saanich Inlet north of Victoria. From that success was born the Seagrass Conservation Working Group in 2001 (www.seagrassconservation.org) and more than 40 restored eelgrass habitats within the Salish Sea.