Imagine Local handmade sale back to begin holiday shopping season

Moose Jaw Families for Change saw so much success with their first Imagine Local Craft Sale earlier this year, they’ve brought the handmade sale back just in time for some holiday shopping. On Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., local artisans, crafters, and artists will fill not only the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre but also the newly opened Kinsmen Cafe just down the block for Imagine Local Craft Sale: Holiday Edition.

“We had such a great response with [the sale in April] that we decided to expand it to our second location, the Kinsmen Cafe which we’ll be opening next month,” said Katie Statler, community coordinator for the MJFFC.

Each maker is from the Moose Jaw area, as the sale hopes to encourage the community to shop local. The sale will feature a huge range of items, including homemade candles, artwork, hand-knitted items, and even dog treats.

“I think we have something for everyone, at both locations. There’s a unique list of vendors,” said Statler. “We wanted to try and showcase the local vendors closer to the holiday season, so that folks could come out and get a headstart on their holiday shopping.” The sale has an admission fee of $5 at the door, which grants access to both locations for the day. All proceeds collected from admission will be put towards the MJFFC’s newest program, Imagine Employment, which was launched about a month ago.

The program is offering employment opportunities for folks of varying abilities through the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre and a partnership with the Moose Jaw Housing Authority and Victoria Towers.

“We have started to employ some of the people we support through the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre to cook meals [for Victoria Towers], and the idea will be for them to be employed at the Kinsmen Cafe too, serving coffee or working the till or helping prep food, things like that,” said Statler.

Imagine Local will be set up at the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre, at 335 4th Ave SW, as well as at the Kinsmen Cafe at 431 4th Ave SW. Both buildings are wheelchair and mobility aid accessible. For more details about the vendors attending, check the event’s Facebook page.