After a “really tough” pandemic year in 2020, iMADE pop-up market organizer Dani MacPherson is happy to be resuming in-person craft fairs.
She isn’t the only one, it seemed, with an estimated 3,000 shoppers passing through the doors of the Halloween-themed market held at the historic Fort Langley Community Hall on Glover Rd. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 30 to 31.
And that was with a scaled-back market to ensure plenty of room for social distancing.
“It was phenomenal,” MacPherson enthused.
“It definitely helped that we had good weather.”
Twenty local vendors were selling art, clothes, handmade jewelry, food, and more.
There were Halloween costume contests for dogs and their owners on Saturday, and for kids on Sunday.
MacPherson was delighted with the response, saying the Langley community has been very welcoming.
“It leaves me speechless,” she commented.
“I’m from a small town in Nova Scotia (Antigonish), so the quaint nature of Fort Langley really resonates.”
When live events were shut down due to COVID-19, iMADE pivoted to an online market series, and the iMADE Subscription Box.
MacPherson described it as a “very difficult” period.
“The last 20 months have been tough as an event organizer” MacPherson told the Langley Advance Times.
In 2020, the Vancouver resident had to cancel 15 events due to coronavirus restrictions.
“It wiped out my whole calendar,” MacPherson recalled.
“It wasn’t just me who was affected. There’s a lot of people [vendors] who rely on markets.”
READ ALSO: Langley market honours memory of organizers mother
Launched in 2017, MacPherson said the iMADE local artisan market, held at various locations throughout the Lower Mainland, is a celebration of her late mother’s, an art teacher who would go to craft fairs to sell her creations.
“Mom would be proud of all of us and the culture we’ve created,” MacPherson said.
“The growth continues and I’m excited to see what’s next.”
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Scaled-down Fort Langley Cranberry Festival rated a success by organizers
iMADE has scheduled markets at the Fort Langley community hall through November and December, on Nov. 6, 7, 20, 21 and Dec. 5, and 12.
All the available vendor spots for December have been taken.
More photos of the event can be seen online at the Advance Times Facebook page.
Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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