Now that the horse jumping competition is over for the season, Calgary’s world famous equestrian facility Spruce Meadows is gearing up for another successful International Christmas Market.
And the hugely successful Market is going to be even bigger this year, said Krista Poffenroth, Manager of Exhibits and Business Development, Spruce Meadows.
“New this year, we’ve added a fourth weekend. It started as one weekend, grew to two, three, and now this is our first year as four,” she said.
This year, the Market runs November 13–15, 20–22, 27–29, and December 4–6 as Spruce Meadows transforms into a winter wonderland filled with warmth, tradition, and Christmas cheer.
“For the Christmas Market, we’re really trying to develop that experience where you can, you know, see, taste, and smell, like a European market,” said Poffenroth.
Each spring the sprawling multi-sports facility, which is also home to the Cavalry FC professional soccer team in the Calgary Premier League, becomes a venue filled with vendors and artisans, particularly during the key show jumping competitions.
While other events like the recent Masters, host many vendors and thousands of shoppers, they don’t match the magnitude of the Christmas Market, which is in its 26th year.
“Twinkling lights, festive music, and the scent of mulled wine and fresh evergreen set the stage for a truly enchanting holiday experience. Wander through charming European-inspired stalls featuring hundreds of unique artisans and specialty vendors, savour seasonal treats, and discover one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list,” says Spruce Meadows on its website.
Poffenroth said the Masters had over 120 different businesses and artists, but the Christmas Market this year, “we’re looking upwards of 330 booth spaces.”
In the past two years, the Market has been breaking records. Poffenroth said last year it had its largest-ever single-day attendance with over 15,000 people.
“We average just over 10,000 people a day,” she said, adding over the nine days the Market attracted more than 100,000 people through its doors.
A number that is very attractive for vendors.
“I have had different vendors tell me that sometimes what they do at the Christmas Market accounts for 50 per cent of their retail year,” explained Poffenroth.
“So it has quite a big impact.”
Throughout the year at Spruce there are about five major events that have a retail component to it. For the year, there’s about 400 different vendors on the Spruce Meadows’ site.
“A lot of our vendors, we’ve encouraged to apply for multiple events. And we’ve just developed some really great relationships with them, and so that’s why we try to support them throughout the year,” said Poffenroth.
“In the last four years since I’ve been in this role, we’ve really turned towards supporting local and individual creatives. So we’re looking for something that’s produced ideally in Calgary or Canada that isn’t mass-produced and that’s not available in, like, a big-box store as much. We really want to support those small entrepreneurs that are creating their own product.”
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