Many shoppers left with bags full of goodies after visiting the Drumbo Agricultural Society’s inaugural Christmas Market and Craft Sale on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
The event, which was held at the local agricultural hall, featured 20 different vendors offering a wide variety of products. From holiday décor and charcuterie boards to loose-leaf teas, baked goods, handcrafted bookmarks, unique pouches, and artisanal soaps and lotions, there were plenty of items to browse and buy throughout the run of the event.
Kitchener-based friends Christine Jasper and Christine Stoiber, who started a small side business selling their crafts under the name C&C earlier this year, said they were enjoying being part of the Drumbo Christmas Market.
“We did our first market on Canada Day, but we really started to do more once September hit,” said Jasper. “Personally, I think smaller markets like this one are really nice because they seem to get a lot more traffic. Everyone is really friendly and I find there’s more interaction because the people are interested in learning more about what you’re making.”
“Sometimes at the bigger markets, there’s just so many vendors that people can get overwhelmed,” added Stoiber. “I feel like at a smaller market, people are really coming with the purpose of buying something and they’re looking for that really unique gift they may not find anywhere else.”
Susan Elmes, the agricultural society’s vice-president, said this was the first time the organization had hosted a Christmas market in decades, and she was pleasantly surprised with the response from the community.
“This is the first year we’ve put on this event in well over 25 years and based on the response, I’m certain we may have it again,” she said. “We started advertising early in the summer, filled all our tables by July and had lots of people asking about it since then so it’s gone very well.”
When told that it was the society’s first Christmas market, both Stoiber and Jasper said they would never have guessed by how many people showed up.
“Is it really?” asked Stoiber. “Good for them! We would definitely come back next year.”
Elmes went on to say that the market was not only a great way for agricultural society to fundraise for their annual Drumbo Fair through the event’s penny sale and tea room, but to also stay involved in the community.
“We’re always looking for different ways to fundraise for the fair, and because we don’t usually do something this time of year in November, it was easy for the Ag Society to plan and put on,” she said. “It’s also a good way to stay top of mind in the community, for example we always do online auctions in May and December. We started those during the pandemic and they’re always popular so that will be coming up next month. This past summer, we also had a Yuk Yuks comedy night, which sold out and I certainly think we’ll be doing that again. So those are all ways we make an effort to stay top of mind year round.”
While it was free to enter the Christmas Market, the agricultural society did ask attendees to bring non-perishable food items for the Blandford-Blenheim Helping Hands Food Bank.
“The community has always been so supportive of us and so this is just another way to give back to the community,” said Elmes. “The food bank is very much in need this time of year so we’re happy to do that and I think it’s a win-win for everybody.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
