GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — The gardens at St James Church and rectory thronged with happy crowds last Saturday, all keen to find a special gift or a bargain amongst the many stalls at the annual Christmas Fair.
There was a huge variety of goods on offer, with many charity stalls manned by willing volunteers. For those feeling peckish, there was plenty to choose from, with hamburgers and bacon and egg rolls, and many sweet treats including freshly flipped pancakes.
Shoppers looking to find unusual Christmas gifts were spoiled for choice, with a wide selection of handcrafted items, both practical and luxurious. Booklovers were well catered for by some of the charity stalls. Most of the stallholders were from Graaff-Reinet, but a few people had travelled from further afield. These included Petra Terblanche from Steytlerville, who brought along a variety of colourful potted succulents - it didn’t look as though there would be many left to take back to Steytlerville!
One of the most popular stalls, that seemed to have an interested crowd of customers throughout the morning, was Ksenia Duvenhage’s most unusual crafted soaps. As well as being creatively and attractively coloured, many of them were in the shape of small cakes, which looked good enough to eat. They certainly looked far too good to use!
Two enterprising boys decided not to wait for customers to come to them and set off around the garden selling slices of chocolate cake from one of their mother’s stall for R5. These well-mannered youngsters seemed to be doing very well, making many sales –well done Jack and Joshua.
Another stall that caught the eye was the Irhafu crafters from Graaff-Reinet, represented by Mimi Vrolik, Katy George and Avril Ceasar. Not only do they make beautiful woollen articles, but they also spin and dye their own wool, both merino and mohair. Many visitors stopped at their stall on the pavement outside the church.
There are many talented crafters in Graaff-Reinet, and this market brings together the best of the best, growing from strength to strength each year. The organisers are very grateful to all who help make it such a success, from the stallholders to those who came along to support them on the day. The many charity stalls did very well, and they are grateful to the church for providing a venue for them to make some much-needed funds. The event is truly a highlight on the Graaff-Reinet calendar!
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