The holidays wouldn’t be complete without the Invermere Christmas Craft Sale, and with more tables than ever before the fair this year promises to have a little something for everyone.

“I had no idea it was going to come to this,” laughed long-time organizer Carolyn Barzilay.

Taking place on Friday, November 30 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, December 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Invermere community hall, the fair showcases a massive range of handcrafted goods. Jams, knitting, pottery, glassware, jewellery, woodwork, original paintings, and food make up just a fraction of the goods on display, and Barzilay said people are often lined up at the door on Friday evening waiting for the fair to begin. This year, Barzilay was even forced to remove her complimentary food tables because of the demand for more room for vendors, some of whom have waited over a year to take part.

“(My favourite part) is seeing all the vendors, and seeing people that I haven’t seen since last Christmas,” Barzilay said. “Honestly it’s the people… it’s literally once a year I get to see some people and have a visit, it’s such a positive event and its so much fun.”

Each year, Barzilay also donates all door admission money to a number of deserving organizations, including the WIndermere Valley Childcare Society and the Columbia Valley Food Bank. She’s raised the admission for the first time ever this year from $1 to $2, but said that with how generous people are in the valley she didn’t expect anyone would really mind. The fair this year will feature vendors at almost 50 tables with a number of new vendors joining regulars to the event.

“It’s to showcase local artisans.. to have a venue to promote themselves,” Barzilay said.