MOOSE JAW — Early Christmas shoppers and residents who turned out for Christmas in October were delighted to attend a second craft show at Whistlestop 2024 where a packed hall and unique gift ideas marked the return of the annual show this month.
Whistlestop ‘24 was held at the Exhibition Grounds for a one-day event on Oct. 26.
“Me and my wife organize the whole (Whistlestop) sale,” announced Matthew Bader, a co-organizer of the event.
“We get all these crafters in from wherever they want to come from, and we try to get as many different types of crafters as we can,” he said. Many of the goods sold at Whistlestop, he added, would make a great Christmas present.
“We’re matching up with Christmas in October in downtown Moose Jaw… (and we hope to) help bring people in for that, and then they’ll (bring in people for us) and vice versa.”
The purpose of continuing the annual Whistlestop event, as Bader sees it, is to continue the 20-plus year legacy started by his mom, Shelley Bader. The event changed hands back in 2021 when Shelley died and passed on the torch to her son.
“We’re not out to make a huge profit off of it,” he explained. “We’re just getting people in, getting people to buy their (homemade crafts and other products), and it’s more of a legacy for us.”
This year, Bader estimated that around 60 vendors were in attendance and sold everything from food to jewellery and from paintings to candles. He said that around half of these vendors are returning from last year or previous years, and something like half of them are attending for the first time.
Nissa Gieni-Wareham, owner of artisaNGrounds, was one of the vendors at Whistlestop ’24 and was attending her fourth year at the annual event.
“I love Whistlestop. It’s one of my favourite markets,” she said. “I like, first of all, that it’s indoors and I’m not battling with the weather, because most of my markets are outdoors. And then, it’s just got such a big following… that keep(s) coming back and it’s nice to see those (familiar) faces.”
Another vendor, Mama Charlotte’s Pastries, featured African dishes and a mixture of Canadian and African foods including cookies, pies, and scones. Traditional dishes included Ghana pastries — which were confirmed to be quite delicious as she offered a few free samples — mini donuts, and other snacks.
For Charlotte, it was her first time at Whistlestop. “It’s really good, and I’m going to continue to come every year,” she said. “(I have) a lot of people coming (and getting) to know my business.”
Patti Lewis, who owns Patti Lewis Art, attended Whistlestop and sold artwork including many of her original watercolours. Lewis has been painting for over 30 years and said the show has been “exciting.”
“This is my second time here, and yeah, it’s been a good experience,” she said. “The people hosting it are great, and customers are (receiving) lots of complements and (getting) lots of sales.” Lewis said she’s noticed a marked uptick in sales each time she attended Whistlestop.
“We’re just happy to have a thing for Moose Jaw people to come out to — and people in the surrounding areas — and it kind of gets them in the Christmas spirit to start off the (new) year and then go from there,” Bader concluded.
To learn more about artisaNGrounds, visit ArtisanGrounds.net.
To learn more about Patti Lewis Art, visit PattiLewisArt.com.
To contact Mama Charlotte’s Pastries, call 306-313-8334.
The next Whistlestop event is expected to take place at the same venue in October 2025.
