Deer Lake Craft Festival returning to Shadbolt

It’s been adding sparkle to the Christmas season for 46 years – and it’s making its return to the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts once again this year.

The Burnaby Arts Council is hosting the annual Deer Lake Craft Festival, running Nov. 24 to 26 at Shadbolt Centre. The festival is juried, ensuring that all artisans who enter the show present the highest quality hand-crafted creations, chocolates and other products.

“This festival is a one-stop Christmas shopping extravaganza,” says a press release from the arts council.

This year’s festival includes more than 60 artisans: glass blowers, sculptors, potters, woodworkers, fashion and jewelry designers and many more. Visitors will also be able to check out a great selection of seasonal food stuffs such as chocolates, mixed spices, Christmas cakes, cookies, jams, jellies, chutneys and even designer honey.

Among them are a number of returning favourites, including Violet Finvers with creative glass work, Jane’s Honey Bees with local honey, Sable Shortbread and Coconama Chocolate.

New artisans making their first appearance at the festival include Amo Tierra Botanicals, with all natural cleaning products; Art by Tay, and Joyful Creations, to name a few.

Festival visitors will also be entertained all weekend long by a roster of diverse performers.

New to the stage this year are the Fandango Quartet, Coastal Wolf Pack, VR4U Virtual Reality Gaming, Bradley Barkman, and the Snow Queen from Believe Entertainment, who will get kids up and dancing.

Returning favourites include the Smile Band and Gord Oliver, among others.

There are also many chances to participate in making your own art.

VR4U will allow visits to paint in 3-D space.

“Unleash your creativity with three-dimensional brush strokes, stars, light and even fire,” the release says. “Your room is your canvas. Your palette is your imagination. The possibilities are endless.”

Volunteers from Burnaby high schools will be on hand to help at Santa’s Workshop, where kids can find face painting, a hands-on art workshop and cookie decorating – featuring cookies fresh from Sable Shortbread. Kids will be able to decorate their own cookie using a variety of sprinkles, coloured sugars and icing (there will be a limit of one cookie per child).

The arts council notes that many organizations and people help to make the festival possible, including the City of Burnaby, which provides a grant so that organizers can pay the entertainers.

“We also greatly appreciate local businesses that have donated gift certificates, gift baskets and dinner vouchers,” the release says. “Many thanks to the artisans who have donated gifts to our very popular BAC basket raffle.”

The grand prize, donated by the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, is a weekend getaway worth more than $600, while Basalite Concrete provided two Canucks tickets worth more than $400.

The festival is on Friday, Nov. 24 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 25 and 267, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Check out www.burnabyartscouncil.org for full details.

WHAT'S ON: Entertainment schedule

Friday, Nov. 24

3 p.m. Joel MacKenzie

4 p.m. Gord Oliver

5 p.m. VR4U Virtual Reality Gaming Tilt Brush

6 p.m. VR4U Virtual Reality Gaming Tilt Brush

Saturday, Nov. 25

10 a.m. Jeff Neufeld

11 a.m. Vaughan Swenson

Noon Carolyn Neapole

1 p.m. Coastal Wolf Pack

2 p.m. Smile Band

3 p.m. Nicole Scofield

Sunday, Nov. 26

10 a.m. Wallgrin – Tegan

11 a.m. Fandango Quartet

Noon Fandango Quartet

1 p.m. Believe – Snow Queen

2 p.m. Bradley Barkham

3 p.m. The Crossing