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Deer Lake Craft Festival returns for 45th year

It’s been adding sparkle to the Christmas season for 45 years, and it’s still going strong. The Burnaby Arts Council is once again presenting the Deer Lake Craft Festival, coming Nov. 18 to 20 to the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.
Deer Lake Craft Festival
Jeff Neufeld entertains at last year's Deer Lake Craft Festival. The 45th annual event returns to the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts Nov. 18 through 20.

It’s been adding sparkle to the Christmas season for 45 years, and it’s still going strong.

The Burnaby Arts Council is once again presenting the Deer Lake Craft Festival, coming Nov. 18 to 20 to the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.

The 45th annual event will feature more than 55 artisans, all of whom have been juried into the show and selected for their high-quality handcrafted creations. Glass blowers, sculptors, potters, fashion and jewelry designers, woodworkers and more will be among those assembled for the show.

Visitors will also be able to choose from a wide selection of foodstuffs – chocolate, spices, Christmas cakes, cookies, jams and jellies, chutneys and designer honey, to name a few.

In the show, visitors will find some favourite returning artisans – Violet Finvers with her creative glass work, Susanna Rezgo with her handpainted silk scarves, Jane’s Honey Bees with her local honey.

First-time artisans will also be represented, including the Marbled Studio, Home for the Holidays and Magnetic Memos and Memories.

The weekend also features local entertainment, courtesy of a festivals grant from the City of Burnaby. Gordon Oliver, violinist Nicole Scoffield, members of the Burnaby Mountain Secondary School choir, and the Audinos, featuring Chris Blaber and Joel MacKenzie, are all in the weekend lineup.

High school student volunteers are also dedicating their time to working in Santa’s Workshop, where kids can find face painting, hands-on art workshop and Christmas cookie decorating – with cookies fresh from Sable Shortbread (one of the on-site artisans) that kids can decorate with sprinkles, coloured sugars and icing.

Organizers that local businesses have been big supporters of the event, donating gift certificates, gift baskets and dinner vouchers for the basket raffle and daily door prizes – with the grant prize of a two-night stay at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown to be drawn on Sunday.

The festival is on Friday, Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Ave.

Admission and parking are free. Find out more at www.burnabyartscouncil.org.