May arrives with blooms and blossoms and all things outdoor. Some plant their garden, others take a hike, but we here at SASKIA take to the streets for the start of weekend market season. 

This spring marks ten years of setting up tents and folding tables all over the city. Over the past decade, we have learned a few things about street fairs that we thought we'd share.

Come Early

No one loves a crowd, especially as the day reaches its hottest point. Most events start around 10am and don't really get busy till after noon. If you plan on arriving after a leisurely breakfast, you'll get undivided attention from the vendors, see everything nicely laid out (and still available), and will miss the bump and grind of afternoon hordes. 

If You Like It, Buy It

I know, you like to think things over. No one wants to impulse buy and regret it later. But let me tell you a story: a few years back a lady came by to look at Rivercreek necklace. Each of these jasper stones are unique, and I told her as much. She loved the design, but needed to think it over, so off she went. An hour later she came back for "her" necklace...only to discover it sold! Craft fairs are just that - handcrafted goods that aren't mass produced. If you see something on the street that piques your interest, grab it right away!

If You Don't Like It, Don't Worry!

We get it. We really do. Walking the market and browsing the goods doesn't mean you're obliged to purchase. That's fine! We're happy to just say hello. If you don't want to talk, just say hi back and keep browsing. But the best advice I can give is strike up a conversation - you never know where a chat can lead. Maybe it brings a smile to your face and you learn something you didn't know before. 

Make New Friends

Continuing the last thought, these events are wonderful opportunities to connect. Craftspeople are a pretty interesting and diverse bunch. So are the people who attend craft fairs. At our booth, we like nothing more than watching perfect strangers warm to each other over trying on jewelry. A wonderful camaraderie arrises when wandering a market - just the ability to walk down the center of a closed-off street somehow transports us from the everyday. Exploit this opportunity to try something new, talk to someone different and discover some craft you never knew you loved. That's what we're all about.