It's a rainy Saturday and a perfect day for festival hunting!
We start the day with a visit downtown to the Place Bonaventure for the 54th annual Montreal Gem and Mineral Show. I know...not an artisan festival, but definitely a place to find unique gifts and a much-needed chance for me to hunt for treasures for my jewelry pieces. I swiped up some beautiful semi-precious stone pendants and sterling silver accent beads, so a great start to the day!
Next, the Festival Fundi finds the Salon des Artisans in Dorval. Located at the Dorval Community Centre, it is easy to find and parking abounds. Upon entry, we see a large area with approximately 20 vendor booths. The products were interesting, but more vendors and more variety would bring another level of presentation to this venue. This event is hosted by the Dorval Artisans Guild, and I invite you to check their website for information and future events schedules (www.dorvalartisans.org).
The standout point was that every vendor was warm, welcoming and interesting to speak with - they all wanted to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with every visitor, which made the experience an extra-pleasant one. Another highlight was the large area of handmade edible goodies such as jams & jellies, pies, cakes, fudge (which was much-enjoyed!), relish, and more.
The Artisan of the Day at this show was Gammy at Think Artisan (ThinkArtisan.ca). She offers wonnnnnnderful soaps (especially the peppermint!) and soap products as well as unique knitted items. The knitted hat & scarf decoration for wine bottles caught my attention. How about this item to dress off a special bottle of ice wine for a friends' Christmas gift? (Get it?..."ice" wine...winter cap & scarf... )
Always a pleasure to speak with hardworking people who are passionate about their handmade treasures. The enthusiasm is catching...so join the festival hunters and meet us next weekend at the Westmount Artisans Festival.
Hope to see you there! ...and try to spot the Festival Fundi, if you can. (That's a challenge!)
FUNDI NOTES :
- Easy to find, large vendor area
- Small number of vendors
- Extra-pleasant and enthusiastic sellers
- Extensive amount of homemade edible goodies
