This past Saturday, the 4th annual Easter Market FUNdraiser was held at the Tony Graham Recreation Complex. The event hosted around 20 vendors to support the fundraising efforts, raising community spirit and creativity. With everything from handcrafted crochet gifts and stained-glass art to sweet local honey, the event was vibrant with support for small businesses and creatives alike.
As a first-time visitor myself, I was interested in learning more about the efforts behind such a festive event. “The markets are an experience of crafters, producers & vendors,” Joseph Carbonetto, the organizer of the FUNdraiser events, shared with Stittsville Central. “We have no boundaries for creators or sellers here. Growers, artisans, and others have a multitude of items for sale. The best way to experience the market is just to come and browse.”
One standout stop was Baybees Honey, a vendor offering delicious honey from their hives in Constance Bay. We couldn’t resist picking up a jar. Their flavourful product, paired with friendly customer service, made for a memorable experience.
This year’s Easter market also marks the beginning of what promises to be an exciting season of events. “This year, we have partners such as Foodland Ontario and our local produce growers featured,” Joseph said. “The Stittsville Muslim Association will partner with us for a great multicultural Canada Day market as well as the third annual Stittsville Canada Day Car Show along with the first Royal Canadian Legion Canada Day Main Street Promenade. Cornfest will be another great event for all, as will Applefest, Oktoboofest, and Gobble Fest leading up to our Christmas markets. Altogether, 15 events plus a few surprise pop-ups will make this a very unique 5th year for our markets. The big secret will soon be unveiled about the return of the Stittsville Flea Market—shhh!”
The market plays a meaningful role in shaping the community with a major focus on youth involvement. “Volunteers and their parents are proud,” Joseph said. “We have many long-term volunteers who have learned management and discipline and have grown from challenges as a result of participating in these markets.” The environment encourages youth to grow in confidence and develop skills they can carry into future careers. “Our youth is our future. They are our legacy. We are so proud to have, if not a small component, any influence at all in helping them improve, get confident, and create a happy environment helping out at the markets.”
The markets also champion small businesses, something Joseph considers essential to thriving communities. “We are also proud of having many of our vendors that have gone on to create larger companies and grow to host their own markets and other tangents from their creations. No less than 17 of our initial vendors have success stories in these realms. We are not just a market but a growing experience that fosters creativity, inclusion, mentoring, and support for successful and fun events!”
And with heart at the centre of it all, net proceeds from the markets support four meaningful organizations: The Kiwanis Youth Drop-In Centre, the Stittsville Food Bank, Chrysalis House, and individuals in need.