After a great deal of deliberation, the Revelstoke Arts Council has decided not to hold a Handmade Parade this year. There are, says Arts Council Executive Director Garry Pendergast, several reasons:
“There seems to be more craft-type fairs every year —last year ours was one of three within three weekends and the audience for these are all the same,” he told The Current on Thursday, September 10.
“Our volunteer base is smaller than in recent years and the Handmade Parade is a big undertaking.”
He said the tinkered with timing of the Handmade Parade but that meant some vendors could not attend while others could; this made it difficult to balance the crafts on offer.
“The out of town crafters (who made up 40% of the total) are being pulled in many directions by a multitude of craft fairs being held every weekend from early October through to Christmas, from Kelowna and the Okanagan area to the Kootenay area,” Garry said, adding that falling attendance also played a role when it came to making a decision.
“The attendance numbers have fallen from a high of 1,200 five years ago, to just over 750 last year,” he said. “Whilst this is still a good number, the economics of the event did not allow for that number to fall lower.”
Garry said the council hopes it can find a partner organization to resurrect the craft fair a few years down the road. If anyone is interested in that option, please contact Garry Pendergast at 250-814-9325.
