Holiday craft show brings shoppers to Bushplane Centre in Sault Ste. Marie

SAULT STE. MARIE -

Another "Holiday Gift & Craft Show" at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre has wrapped up.

Organizers and vendors are saying it's been a success, especially compared to last year when capacity limits kept a lot of people away.

Edie Suriano, Marketing and Promotions Manager, says this year's show was brought in shoppers by the thousands.

"They know there could be problems with getting certain things this Christmas, so they're ready to shop for themselves, get their Christmas shopping done," she says.

Vendors were selling a variety of crafts, from paintings to woodwork to soap and beauty products.

"This is my fifth year doing this show and every year it's been really fantastic," says Steve McGarry, one of the more than 160 vendors to set up shop at the Bushplane. "People here are wonderful to work with and they get a lot of people here everyday. It's been a good show."

Eighty-six-year-old George Bachura, who makes model fighter planes from the First World War, said not being able to attend last year's show gave him an extra year to make more crafts for this year's show.

"I was trying to get here last year, but then because of COVID-19, everything was canceled. So I just kept puttering around," he says.

At 12 years old, Sarah Hapanovich is among the youngest artisans at this year's holiday craft show. She's selling her paintings for the first time.

"When I do art it's just...it's my passion and it makes me feel happy and all my negative thoughts go away," she says. Lisa and Paul Hapanovich, Sarah's parents, say she has been painting since she was five years old.

"It's her passion and it's awesome to see how it calms her and it makes her happy," says Lisa.

"For her to come here and to promote herself and interact with other people and get her art known to other people, it's a very proud thing for both of us," says Paul.