Paris Optimist Club hosted its annual holiday craft and vendor market on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9, 2025.
The event, which has been running for well over a decade, was held at the Paris Fairgrounds and featured 75 different vendors spread between two different rooms.
From charcuterie boards to jewellery, handmade Christmas ornaments, keychains, specialty jellies, candles, quilts, carved holiday decor and more, there were plenty of items to browse and buy throughout the two-day event.
“There’s a huge variety of products here; we have things that have both been handmade by different makers, as well as home-based businesses selling different products too,” said Julie Henwood, vice-president of the Optimist Club and co-chair of the event committee. “There are mocktails, stuff-your-own teddy bears, candy, really cool animal rock statues, key chains and crochet creations; there’s really an assortment of different items. We also have quite a few non–profits here that are sharing some information about what they do too.”
Henwood said that after moving last year’s market to the end of November because of scheduling conflicts, she and the team were happy to host the event on its regular weekend.
“We always host this event on the second weekend of November, and our vendors and visitors all know that and plan for it,” she said. “Last year we ended up having it at the end of November, and as a result, we had way less vendors because many of them just weren’t available that weekend, and the turnout was much smaller than in previous years too. Now that we’re back to our normal sort of schedule, we’ve had a great turnout so far.
She said despite the snow on Sunday, she was happy with the overall attendance.
“We are really pleased with the turnout so far. Saturday was so excellent, we had a record number of people who came in and we were super busy for a good part of the day, then steady for the rest so that was really nice,” said Henwood. “I think most of the vendors were happy with the sales they made yesterday so even though the snow does slow things down, I think a lot of them are still going to be okay with what they did do.”
Because the service club’s mandate is to support as many youth-based initiatives in Paris as they can, Henwood said the high attendance numbers will ultimately go back into the community.
“The purpose of the Optimist Club is to support the local children and youth. We’re a non-profit, so we organize a lot of fundraising initiatives, and that money goes right back into the community,” she said. “That may look like sponsoring different sports teams, donating money to the Girl Guides or Scouts, or giving out scholarships for local Grade 8 and Grade 12 graduates. We’re also long-time supporters of what used to be called Camp Trillium, which is now called Campfire Circle, and we also just recently donated $10,000 toward the expansion of our local skate park. We do a number of different things like that.”
While vendor fees, funds from the Optihouse Café, the other half of the licensed 50/50 will all go towards the club’s many initiatives, proceeds from the event’s two-dollar admission cost will go towards supporting the Paris Christmas Hamper Program.
“That’s what being a part of the Optimist Club is all about, you know?” said Henwood. “We’re a pretty small member group but we’re always open to new members so if there’s anyone looking to get involved in the community, who wants to support the kids or just is interested in meeting new people, joining our club is a great way to do that.”
Kimberly Brousseau, who builds cabin furniture and rustic, primitive decor through her business Cabin Fever, said she was happy to be back in Paris for another market.
“I’ve done quite a few other events in Paris in the past, but this is my first time with the Optimist Club,” she said. “I always like coming here to sell my stuff because I think it’s just one of the best areas to do it; Paris is such a nice community to begin with, but it also has great facilities for these types of different markets so it’s great to be back, especially during my favourite time of the year.”
Brousseau went on to say that as a small business owner and maker, markets are a great opportunity to put yourself out there and market your brand.
“It’s so important to shop local and to support small businesses, and I think it’s nice that people can come out, do some shopping, and get to know who’s out there and what they’re doing,” she said.
When asked how she felt about the Club giving back to the Christmas hamper program through the two-dollar admission fee, Brousseau said it was excellent.
“I think it’s important to give back to the community and I think every venue or event like this should give back in some sort of way,” she said.
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.
