The sights, sounds and smells of Christmas were on display downtown on Wednesday night for the Merry Maker Market.
About 80 vendors filled the Guelph Farmers' Market Wednesday for the holiday-themed market, which ran for one night only.
The Merry Maker Market is an opportunity to attract a different crowd and for prospective vendors to see what the market has to offer, said Stacey Dunnigan, manager of culture and tourism for the city of Guelph.
“We always have people wanting to try the market or who are just not sure how the market would work for them, so we try and offer up special events like this to give them the opportunity to try the market space,” said Dunnigan.
Vendors at the Merry Maker Market included many regulars, as well as some representing the city’s do-it-yourself (DIY) makers.
“Guelph has a really strong DIY maker culture. When we put out the call for this the opportunity was snapped up really quickly,” said Dunnigan.
Many items had a holiday theme, from red and green sprinkled donuts to chrysanthemums sold by flower vendors and hand made decorations and holiday cards.
The Royal City Ukulele Ensemble and Guelph Little Theatre caroling group kept things festive in the heated pavilion in the back parking lot just outside the market building.
A light snowfall seemed to add an even more festive feeling to the outdoor festivities.
Local food trucks, including Chef Scotty Cook, The Pizza Guys, Sweet Temptations, were parked and offering food outside the market, while fresh doughnuts, dumplings, waffles and other treats were sold inside.
The Merry Maker Market ran from 4 to 9 p.m. On Wednesday.
The Guelph Farmers' Market will be open for its last two markets of 2017 on the next two Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon.
Dunnigan said this is the third year for the festive market.
“It gets a different kind of customer out because it’s not a Saturday. So it’s typically new faces we see this time of year, which is kind of nice. The goal is to attract new customers who have never been,” she said.
