Geeky holiday craft market showcases one-of-a-kind gifts for geeky gals

A Winnipeg group that organizes events for geeky girls and female identifying individuals held their second annual Geeky Holiday Market in a North Kildonan comic shop Sunday afternoon.

The free craft show featured 20 local vendors who have a shared passion for anime, fantasy films and books, and all things geeky.

"Anything from geeky scented candles, like Star Wars candles, to tea, to cross stitch embroidery, art prints, zines, comics, makeup that's hand made by one of our organizers," said Samantha Beiko, one of the organizers for the sale and a member of Geeky Girls Winnipeg.

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The group started nearly two years ago and hosts monthly events for members to socialize, shop, and share their love of geek culture.

"It's an interest in the Marvel movies, the Avengers, and it can also just be an interest in anime or in comics or artwork that is derivative of all that stuff," said Beiko.

"It's also a safe space for women to just get together and talk about geeky stuff," she said.

Beiko says the group formed because many female identifying and non-binary people were looking for a way to network with others who had similar interests.

"There is kind of a pressure from male geeks, or male identifying geeks, that you have to kind of know absolutely everything about everything in geek culture to be a member," said Beiko.

The group hosts game and movie nights as a means for geeks to get together and socialize.

The Christmas market was such a success last year they decided to offer it again and expanded, taking up the second floor of Galaxy Comics on Henderson Highway.

"A lot of people are using this as an opportunity to shop for those difficult to shop for people, because we have a lot of quirky stuff that you're not really going to find in a [regular] shop or even in a comic shop," said Beiko.

Beiko expected to have at least 150 people visit the market between 12 and 5 Sunday afternoon.

Several shoppers came out to look for unique gifts and support the vendors who all belong to the Geek Girls group.

"I love Geek Girls, it's a good society for women who are geeks, and non-gender binary, and who express a love of art and who want to belong somewhere where they feel like themselves," said Tabitha Stephenson.

Adrian Cheater came to the market for the first time after hearing about it through friends who are part of the group.

"As a transgender woman I felt welcome to come check out the space and everyone's been really accepting," said Cheater.

The group has over 500 members on Facebook and is free to join.