People wandering between stalls at the 46th edition of Creative Chaos (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

Full Slate of Vendors

Creative Chaos able to return to pre-pandemic level

Jun 6, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Artisanal and handmade items from carvings to soap, from pickled products to knitted hats and gloves, and from stained glass to jewelery were for sale at the 46th edition of Creative Chaos .

The craft fair, held at the Vernon Recreation Complex, Curling Club and Priest Valley Arena June 2-4, returned to pre-pandemic levels this year.

“Last year we didn’t quite fill the show because there was still some apprehension with the COVID situation but this year it was chock full,” Ingrid Baron, chairperson of the Creative Chaos Society, told Vernon Matters.

“We had 226 vendors, 14 food trucks, a full slate of performing artists and it was so awesome. The whole weekend was so awesome.”

The 2022 edition of the craft fair had just over 190 vendors, and Baron noted the return to full operations was great to see.

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She also noted this year saw the return from more out-of-province vendors.

“Some of those travelling exhibitors didn’t come last year because of the apprehension of it all, but this year they were all back,” Baron said.

“We had people from all over: Alberta, the Lower Mainland, Saskatchewan, Ontario, up north. Just from everywhere. So it’s pretty much back to normal.”

Baron added this year they had to create a wait list for vendors as they had in pre-pandemic years, adding a lot of those vendors had food products.

“Specialty food products like dressings and that sort of things, and I think over the pandemic a lot of people got into making food because the food could still be sold at a lot of events at the beginning of the pandemic and crafts couldn’t, so in the end it was just about all food on the wait list,” Baron said.

She also stated they saw a lot more unique items for sale this year.

“Like gas station globes; like license plate screw-on holders that were very unique; more metal work I think like for garden art. I found there was a lot of really unique things,” Baron told Vernon Matters.

“There was a lot of ‘word art’ out there too. Like signs that say things and shirts that say things and are either embroidered or vinyl or painted, I call it word art. There was a lot of it, it’s pretty popular now.”

Some of the displays at the 46th Creative Chaos (photos by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

Some of the items and displays at the 46th edition of Creative Chaos (photos by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

She noted they do not count the attendees as people can enter the craft fair from any of the three building but estimated close to 15,000 people visited the craft fair over the weekend, which would be similar to previous year’s turnouts, including the 2022 event.

As part of the event donations were being collected for the Salvation Army Food Bank. Baron said she had not heard how much was raised for the cause over the weekend, but did state the kettle set out in the entrance to the curling club was filled quickly and needed to be emptied each day.