Annual Christmas at the Coliseum kicks off seasonal shopping for many

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By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff

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Vendors weren't the only wise men and women traveling from afar to this year's edition of Turner's Christmas at the Coliseum.

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VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCR

Six-month-old Breea Daigle sports a santa hat while taking in the 22nd annual Turner's Christmas at the Coliseum with mom Natalie Daigle.

The Arseneault family from Summerside, P.E.I., makes it an annual family tradition.

"We make a weekend of it," says Arcade Arseneault.

"We come to the show and do a lot of Christmas shopping, but mostly we buy decorations for the house and try out the foods, too. The kids hit Crystal Palace amusement (park) in Dieppe while Mom shops at Champlain Place. Of course we go see Santa in the Santa Claus parade as well."

That's typical for Atlantic Canada's largest Christmas craft show, which attracts shoppers from all over the Maritimes and vendors from all over Canada. A quick check of the parking lot shows that more than one in 10 licence plates comes from out-of-province.

"We make it a family weekend getaway," Gisele Arseneault says.

"I think the parade is the highlight for my two youngest ones. I think it's great that they have it at night. And for the oldest one, the amusement park takes the cake."

More than 80 per cent of the show and sale is made up of arts and crafts and that is the secret to the show's success according to many of the show's fans who scooped up handcrafted Christmas decorations in some cases as fast as they could be put on display.

The show, which ended yesterday and began Friday, featured line-ups to get in at times, such is its popularity, though the lines moved quickly.

Cherish Landry of Shediac was looking for handcrafted jewelry and was happy to score an entire bag full.

"I prefer handcrafted, unique pieces rather than the stuff that everyone usually wears, and you can find lots of that here," she said after perusing some stunning pieces by Mystic Glass Creations, of Sooke, B.C.

"I buy them to give out as Christmas presents, but usually I'll end up keeping some of my favourite ones for myself," she confessed.

This is the show and sale's 22nd year and while attendance figures weren't readily available, veteran show-goers said the word seems to spread every year.

Foods are also a big part of the show, with Arcade Arseneault taking advantage of the many free samples being handed out by vendors.

"It's food you can't usually find anywhere else," he says.

"I think that's a big attraction of the show; there are lots of things you won't find anywhere else."

Musicians, charities and antiques round out the vendors, many of whom were demonstrating how their creative process works, right there on the spot. At least, they were doing so when they weren't busy serving customers.

Close to 400 vendors attended this year, covering about 75,000 square feet, making Turner's Christmas at the Coliseum Show and Sale the largest of its kind east of Montreal.