It was a tough year economically for many. But thousands of Okanaganites are putting it all behind them this weekend to flock to the sixth annual iteration of Penticton's enormous Yuletide Market at the PTCC.
The market, spotlighting regional vendors and the products they've created, baked or grown, is a direct descendent of the celebrated Okanagan Makers Christmas Market and remains one of the biggest happenings of its kind in the BC Interior.
This year, 172 vendors have set up shop at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, an all-time record number for event. And by mid-day Saturday, with the rest of the day and all Sunday to come, more than 3,000 prospective shoppers had already filed through the front doors.
"It's amazing, it's unbelievable," said organizer Frances Callaghan of Vernon. "I don’t know if it’s just because they're coming out hard to support local or what, but I've never seen it this busy in my six years of doing this."
Next weekend, Callaghan and her "Artisans Showcase" will fire up a pair of markets in Kelowna – "It's Christmas @ the Red Barn" and "It's Christmas @ the Laurel Packing House." But Saturday she was fully engrossed in the goings-on at the PTCC.
One of the 172 vendors is Emma Stevens. Stevens came to the event all the way from the Rocky Mountains to market her "Untamed Fernie" clothing line.
"I'm here because I want to get the word out that there are long tops you can wear with leggings," she told us.
Stevens' prints the works of regional painters on her fabric. It's a unique look and yes, the tops are longer than average. They can even be worn as dresses.
"I've done this market before," she said. "There's a lot of talent in the air here and everyone's so busy. And I really love this city. Everyone's so nice."
But Untamed Fernie is just one of many out-of-town vendors to attend this year's edition. Another is Kelowna's Don-O-Ray Farms, which made the trip a second consecutive year to promote its "Nature's Kitchen" brand of food items.
The folks from Don-O-Ray handed out samples all day Saturday and the crowd responded. The booth was easily one of the busiest at the event. And many of those who tried a given product ended up purchasing.
"The farm has been around since 1960," said co-owner Jas Sanghera. "Don and Ray, two brothers, started the business. Our family took it over in 2005.
"Today we grow 80 acres ourselves and we have 48 other farmers and vendors on our team. We work like a co-op."
We tried the vegan antipasto and one of the Nature's Kitchen jams and were mightily impressed.
"Today we brought in about 15 of our products," said Sanghera. "We love being part of this, and we love giving out samples. We can connect with the people. We even have customers here today from Kelowna.
"We'll be busy like this all day long."
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There are dozens of local vendors too. Like sophomore enterprise Cardle & Co, run by well-known Pentictonites and best buds Diana Stirling and Tracey Badger.
Cardle and Co. makes "scent products" like candles, room sprays, car diffusers and the like from 100-percent non-toxic ingredients, and then wraps the final results in attractive, gift-ready packaging.
And thus far, all the manufacturing has taken place at one of Stirling's many already-established Penticton businesses – Lickity Splitz Ice Cream on Lakeshore Drive.
"Cardle and Co. is my bestie Tracey and me," said the wildly industrious Stirling Saturday. "We're in our second year, and its going really well.
"I'm just so lucky to be able to do something in the off-season with my best friend. When the (Lickity Splitz) shop closes, we start."
Not far from the Cardle and Co. setup is another irrepressible entrepreneur, Tatsuo Kan.
Kan owns the Sushi Kojo restaurant chain (one in Penticton, one in West Kelowna). But more recently he's introduced a line of sauces (Kizuna Sauces) and a line of sake (Kizuna Sake).
He's at the market primarily promoting the latter, the only sake made in the region.
"We now have eight flavors in all," he said enthusiastically of the businesses, which debuted in 2023. "And today we have a new sake cocktail. And we have a Japanese lemon sake that’s the bomb."
And then there are the regulars – longtime vendors who come back year after year to an event many say is the top dog of Christmas markets.
People like Garry Allen. Allen, with wife Dorothy, run a business called Coldstream Pottery. He creates the product, she does the kiln work and the glazing.
And together they've been a fixture at the Yuletide Market at the PTCC (and Okanagan Makers Market before that) for a dozen years or more.
"Penticton is known as the hub," said Allen Saturday. "The hub of the Okanagan, of the Interior. This is where a lot of invention happens.
"And this market has been very good to us."
By noon, Santa (known locally as Santa Gary) was holding court in the lobby and doing the occasional walkabout through the vendor area.
And magician Evan the Juggler, back for another year, was busy running through his immensely impressive bag of tricks for anyone who wanted to watch.
The Yuletide Market at the PTCC continues today, Sunday, 'til 3 PM-. Admission is $3.
