THUNDER BAY – Hundreds of people were out exploring local wares on Sunday during the 2023 Craft Revival event.
Kara Pratt, executive director, Craft Revival and Waterfront District BIA, said that it was a beautiful sight to see so many people out again this year showing their support for local artisans.
“We have 22 locations this spring and we have 153 artisans and the whole idea is to get people into unusual places,” she said.
“So, into small retailers that we have a lot of in Thunder Bay, small restaurants and the overflow end ends up in the Prince Arthur's landing in the delta and the baggage arts building.”
Pratt said that Events like these are crucial for local artisans to let the community know about what they make and helps support the local economy.
“We're in hundreds of thousands of dollars, we have some stats from previous years, we had about 3000 people down during the spring event and we get 6000 or more during our holiday events,” she said.
“So, you take that, you know $50.00 per person, it really impacts the economy in a very positive way, and that $50 is a really is underestimating how much people would spend, it's probably like $150, and then that rolls out into our restaurants.”
The annual event has been running since 2014 and Pratt said that its impact on the community over the years has been exponential.
“It's very important to keep them going, it gets community together, it gets people into different places, it really showcases what Thunder Bay can do, we have a ton of talented artisans, we have a lot of small businesses and they're what keeps our economy going because we're so isolated,” she said.
“And it brings a lot of new perspectives into Thunder Bay because we started out very small, like six artisans in a living room, and now you know 153 for a spring event over 250 for a holiday event and it really it brings out a lot in Thunder Bay.”
Pratt said that the next event is scheduled for Nov. 26 and that she can’t wait to see more people come out and show support.
“It is an epic or a wild takeover of our downtown and we'll continue to run as many of these craft revival events as we possibly can and keep the crafters going and our small businesses at the forefront,” she said.
