While you might usually spend the run up to Christmas browsing local fairs and fetes for handmade gifts and festive treats, this year things are a bit different. Local artisans have had to cancel many of their normal seasonal events (for obvious reasons) leaving many of us pining for a few hours spent ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ over a craft stall or two. But before you panic about empty Christmas stockings, the crafty folk of Ceredigion have come up with a creative way to support each other and help customers shop for beautiful local crafts and festive foods from the safety and comfort of home.
Set up by sisters Hollie Walters and Sarah Bennett, Ceredigion Online Christmas Market offers a huge range of virtual stalls, covering everything from decorations, homeware and jewellery to cheeses, chocolates and cakes. Hollie says:
“It’s been a strange year so far, so we decided to create a safe space for sellers and shoppers to come together this Christmas. Myself and our father are small businesses owners and we thought it would be nice to get local businesses together and support each other during the festive period.
To get the word out, we started sharing the group and reached over a thousand members in just a week. The Facebook page now has over 80 local stallholders who advertise their businesses once a day. There are also weekly discounts and some raffles for customers to look out for in the run up to Christmas.”
The great festive and community spirit the page continues to generate among small local businesses and their customers is testament to everyone who has pulled together to keep Christmas on track.
So, if you feel like you’ve missed out on this year’s craft stall trawl, why not visit the Ceredigion Online Christmas Market page on Facebook. You can search for all your Christmas goodies without even setting foot outside. (Although, if you want to give the online experience a more ‘authentic’ outdoor feel, you could always pop your coat on and sip some mulled wine while you’re scrolling through the stalls. Just a thought…)
