A holiday favourite is making its way back to Meadow Lake just in time for Christmas. The Holly Berry Christmas Craft Show, a fixture at the former Meadow Lake and District Arena for many years, has been resurrected courtesy of a Goodsoil beekeeper looking to breathe new life into what has been described as a holiday tradition for Meadow Lake and the surrounding area.
“I have always been very passionate about markets,” explained Lauren Stremick. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved Christmas markets, and, for the past few years, I’ve been organizing the Christmas market in Goodsoil.” For many years, the Holly Berry Christmas Craft Show served as a major fundraiser for the local Beta Sigma Phi chapter. That group has since disbanded, but not before the annual sale was impacted first by the COVID-19 pandemic followed by the 2021 fire that destroyed the local arena. “Every year I look to see if anyone is bringing back Holly Berry, but, with the loss of the rink, there really wasn’t anywhere with enough space in Meadow Lake to host such a big market,” Stremick said. “Then, when I heard the new facility (Meadow Lake Co-op Centre) was opening this year, I waited to hear if anyone else was planning to do it. I contacted city hall about the possibility of renting the space, and I spoke with Laurel Pethick (of Beta Sigma Phi) who used to organize the show. It didn’t sound like anyone else was trying to plan it, but so many people I spoke with about Holly Berry said they wanted it back.” Stremick went on to say a show of such magnitude does wonders for local crafters and home-based businesses. “It’s great to be able to allow these people to reach a wider audience, but to also bring in vendors from other communities,” she added. “This way local residents can buy things they wouldn’t normally have access to. I’m excited to be able to bring this event back and to offer it to everyone again.”
The Holly Berry Christmas Craft Show is scheduled for Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the InnovationPlex field house in the Meadow Lake Co-op Centre. Stremick, meanwhile, reiterates the importance of keeping the Holly Berry name rather than creating a whole new market from the ground up. “Everyone has great memories of the Holly Berry market and I really want to be able to live up to that name,” she said. “When people have that attachment, it just makes it that much more special. I’m really hoping I can hit the bullseye with this and it lives up to how it always has been.”
Stremick has been a beekeeper in Goodsoil for the past five years. “I sell a variety of flavoured cream honeys and beeswax products,” she said. “I used to work in Rapid View and was in Meadow Lake often. Since having kids, I haven’t been there as much and I really want to get back to that larger community. I feel this is a good way to also re-familiarize myself with Meadow Lake and allow people to get to know me as well.”
Anyone interested in being a vendor at the Holly Berry Christmas Craft Show can reach out to Stremick via email at fieldandhive@gmail.com. “I do have an application form,” she said. “I want to get as many vendors as possible, but also want the vendors to have a good experience and the shoppers to have a large variety. So, I will be putting some limits on to how many of each kind of vendor we have, and try to focus on those homemade, handmade products as well. I’m just very excited and I hope everyone else is just as excited to have this event back.”