Celebrating the Success of the 3rd Annual Winter Market

Celebrating the Success of the 3rd Annual Winter Market

The 3rd Annual Winter Market was a resounding success! With around 200 attendees joining us at the Highland Park Community Center, the event showcased the incredible creativity and diversity within our local community. This year’s market featured 30 plus talented vendors offering an impressive array of handmade items, including ornaments, cards, jewelry, soaps, pottery, woodwork, plants, paintings, baked goods, and sewn items. It was truly a celebration of local talent and community spirit.

A Huge Thank You to Our Team and Volunteers

The success of this market would not have been possible without the tireless efforts and dedication of our organizing team—Tina, Julie, and Lonnie. Their planning, coordination, and attention to detail ensured everything ran smoothly, creating an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to their partners, who played a crucial role in the setup on the big day.

Our incredible volunteers deserve special recognition as well. From assisting vendors to managing activities and ensuring the smooth flow of the event, their commitment and willingness to support community initiatives were instrumental. Thank you for being the backbone of this event—your efforts are deeply appreciated!

Special Guests and Activities

We were thrilled to welcome Bikers Are Buddies: Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their Elves, who spread joy as they walked through the halls, taking selfies with attendees and sharing the holiday spirit.

The kids’ activities were a highlight of the event, with many young participants enjoying gingerbread house decorating, mural coloring, crafting Christmas ornaments, playing the corn hole game, and posing at the selfie photo booth. These engaging activities brought smiles to children’s faces and added a festive touch to the market.

Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Elves - Bikers Are Buddies

Showcasing Our Amazing Vendors

Our vendors brought so much color and creativity to the Winter Market! Let’s introduce them and their unique offerings:

  • Kayla Baez: Her stunning wood crafts, cards, picture signs, and Christmas decorations charmed everyone.

  • Yvonne Kjorlien: A talented author and artist, Yvonne shared her self-published books and original artworks.

  • Lorrie Pratt: Lorrie’s handmade ornaments and beautiful photo books were a hit.

  • Samara Dunford (Surfer Girl Ceramics): Samara’s functional pottery, lovingly crafted, was a favorite.

  • Donna Russell: Donna’s sewing skills shone through her Christmas towels, runners, and aprons.

  • Penn Cho-Kelln: Penn’s handmade jewelry, stickers, keychains, and bookmarks were vibrant and unique.

  • Tracy Martell: Tracy’s handcrafted pottery added an artistic touch to the market.

  • Bill Aitken (Stoneface Creations): Bill amazed attendees with his carved wood and stone creations, wind chimes, and metalwork.

  • Tuan Pham: Tuan’s custom greeting cards, art prints, mugs, and driftwood sculptures were captivating.

  • Sarah Jones: Sarah sparkled with her dazzling rhinestones items.

  • Fatima Carruthers: Fatima’s natural beauty products, including tallow lotion and salves, were warmly received.

  • Linda Schlegel: Linda’s paper crafts, shelf sitters, and wood items were a delightful addition.

  • Peter Snowdon: Peter showcased his stunning paintings and mixed media art.

  • Amy: Amy charmed with her handmade hair clips, necklaces, and accessories.

  • Joanna Boyd: Joanna’s handcrafted cards, painted ornaments, and table decor showcased her creativity.

  • Karen: Karen’s Cricut-made items, including custom cups and keychains, added a personal touch.

  • Meagan Rose Wilde: Meagan dazzled with her original art, holiday wreaths, boutique jewelry, and custom designs.

  • Erika Belanic (Ava Style Haven): Erika’s handmade hair and fashion accessories were perfect for gifting.

  • Aliya: Aliya’s Christmas cards, painted decorations, and embroidered towels spread holiday cheer.

  • Carole Tanney: Carole’s African fabric creations and jewelry added vibrant cultural flair.

  • Judith and Gordon McRae: This duo’s Celtic style greeting cards and ornaments were unique and meaningful.

  • Jessica Clayton: Jessica’s lush house plants brought nature indoors.

  • JoAnne Lewis: JoAnne’s Indigenous-style gemstone jewelry and beadwork stood out beautifully.

  • Olivia Ziegenhagel: Olivia delighted attendees with her baked goods.

  • Keziah Chaudhary: Keziah’s crochet and macrame items were both intricate and charming.

  • Eliana Cornelisse: Eliana’s handmade clay earrings were a big hit.

  • Keith Park: Keith impressed with his dolls, handmade clothes, and live 3D printing demonstrations.

  • Frank: Frank’s paintings and mixed media art added a touch of sophistication.

  • Marina Varga: Marina’s activity and coloring books for kids were fun and educational.

  • Irena Kukina: Irena’s elegant jewelry was perfect for any occasion.

  • Sausan Abousaleh: Sausan’s handmade crochet bags were both stylish and practical.

  • Alphonso: Alphonso’s reclaimed wood birdhouses were rustic and charming.

A special thank you to the Calgary Food Bank for hosting a donation bin and providing an easy way for attendees to give back.

And Calgary Community Outreach Youth for sharing information about blood donation and booking appointments for interested residents on behalf of the Canadian Blood Services.

Looking Ahead

The Highland Park Community Markets will now be held twice a year, with the Summer Market on May 31st, 2025, and the Winter Market on the first Saturday of December 2025.

·        Registration details will be shared closer to the event dates through the official HPCA website.

·        Please be cautious of scams and ensure all registrations and payments are processed through our website.

Thereafter, the following calendar will be followed:

Year Summer Market Winter Market

2026 Neighbours Day – 3rd Saturday of June First Saturday of December

2027 Neighbours Day – 3rd Saturday of June First Saturday of December

2028 Neighbours Day – 3rd Saturday of June First Saturday of December

2029 Neighbours Day – 3rd Saturday of June First Saturday of December

Contact us

We’re always looking for feedback, suggestions, and anyone interested in volunteering or helping organize future markets. If you’d like to get involved, please reach out to us at connections@hpca.ca. Let’s continue to build and support a vibrant, connected community together!

'High Fives' for Highland Park Preschool

'High Fives' for Highland Park Preschool

Within a few months, my son developed really strong friendships with some of the students in his class. They completed year one and year two of preschool together and are now in kindergarten together. Attending kindergarten was a seamless transition for the kids, as they already had friends in their class, and had developed so many social, speech and motor skills from preschool. Everything from learning to put on their own jackets and shoes, to cleaning up toys, to listening to the teacher and each other.

Paint the Pavement Project

By Anne Naumann

If you haven’t been near our community hall lately, you should drop by and see the amazing artwork we painted on September 30 and October 1, with the permission of the City of Calgary, on the intersection at 36 Ave and 1 St NW. It’s beautiful and makes me happy when I see it.

This Paint the Pavement Project came into being when we learned there were ActivateYYC grants of up to $5,000 available from the Federation of Calgary Communities to install and “activate” curb bump outs at problem intersections within a community. We had already identified the intersection of 36 Ave & 1 St NW as a problem, as we’ve observed many vehicles failing to stop for the stop signs on 36 Ave and driving over the 30 kph speed limit through this playground zone. One such incident was in the summer of 2022 when two vehicles crashed at this intersection with enough force to cause one vehicle to roll over and the other to crash into a tree on the HPCA grounds.

Happily, we were accepted for the grant, and we began to plan the project. The City of Calgary dropped off the cement curb bump outs and moved the stop signs for 36 Ave NW onto them from the adjacent landowner’s grass. Our survey of community residents indicated this moving of the stop signs had already made a difference in calming down traffic at this intersection. Our task was then to “activate” the area, which we planned to do with a large mural on the intersection.

After contracting with a Highland Park artist, Christian Olguif, who had previously created the mural mounted on the east wall of the community hall, we decided on a brightly coloured, geometric design for the pavement. We think it looks like a quilt, which is emblematic of the fabric of our community, with many connecting points, and different colours, that together creates beauty.

We were also able to paint the curb bump outs themselves, using stencils and small brushes to create designs and small pictures of flowers, butterflies, and fairies. We’ve been advised that while the painted pavement will fade over time, it should last about two years, and we should be able to touch it up as needed.

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped create this community art. Together we can do some pretty amazing things. We’d love to hear your feedback on this project. To provide feedback, or if you want to join the HPCA group of volunteers, contact me at Volunteer@HPCA.ca

Follow us @HighlandPkCA