'Wonderful to have seen the business grow': artist celebrates 43 years with N.L. Christmas Craft Fair

It may not seem like it, but don't let the calendar fool you – Christmas is coming. 

To help get people in the spirit – and on top of their shopping – the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador transformed the Jack Byrne Arena in Torbay into a little bit of a winter wonderland for its 43rd Christmas Craft Fair. 

Thousands of people attend the fair, on from Nov. 9 to Nov. 13, and this is the second year vendors have set up in Torbay – it operated out of the Arts and Culture Centre before the move.

A move that has been good for the event, said Susan Furneaux, one of the fair organizers.

"We have over a hundred vendors in total," she said.

"Over the weekend we estimate it will probably be up to about 5000 people [coming in]" she said Saturday. 

Furneaux said all vendors are juried, which means their work is screened and selected to be part of the fair, to ensure only the best crafts are displayed. 

Artist Donna Clouston has been at every single one of the Craft Council's 43 Christmas fairs since 1973.

"We had no idea who was going to show up to those first shows," she said. 

"We were surprised to discover that the province was full of wonderful creators and crafts people. It's wonderful to have seen the business grow."