Whistlestop Christmas Craft Sale Steams In For Another Year

Whistlestop Christmas Craft Sale - Convention Centre on the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds 250 Thatcher Drive East

Friday - 2 pm to 9 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pm

Admission $5 Free Admission for Children 12 years of age and under

A pre-Christmas Moose Jaw tradition dating back to 1995 is set to chug into Moose Jaw this afternoon as the annual two day craft/artisan show Whistlestop Christmas Craft Sale takes over the Convention Centre at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds.

This year’s sale features 50 vendors bringing with them a wide range of products spanning the entire spectrum of crafts and artisan produced products.

“There are plenty of things. There is food, paintings, jewelry, flax bags. There are tons of things they just have to come and wander around and see what they can find,” Matthew Bader said about what the sale is offering.

Homemade Heaven - a vendor sets up her home made goodies to be offered at the Whistlestop Christmas Craft Sale. The sale features 50 craft/artisan and even farm produced beef and runs today and Saturday - MJ Independent photo

Whistlestop was started in 1995 by Matthew’s mother the late Shelley Bader with help from the late Ron Bader. The sale was originally held in the former CP Rail passenger station located at the intersection of Main Street North and Manitoba Street.

The tradition continues with Matthew and his sister Kimber now producing the sale.

“Her and my dad (Ron) Bader did it all. It actually originated at the old (CPR) train station. It started down there and it worked its way up here for spacing and stuff.”

The growing local talent pool of people producing quality products is the backbone of this year’s sale but vendors from afar as Calgary, Alberta and from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba are also participating.

“My mother has being doing this sale for almost 30 years and we use to have people come from as far as BC and Ontario. It use to have people from all over but much of the stuff is getting more localized now. And more (vendors) are coming from locally around (vendors) which is good to help people out that way,” Bader said.

Although the sale has Christmas in its title that does not restrict the goods being sold as the products available are wide ranging for all times of the year.
”We try to help out as much as we can with the Christmas in October that Moose Jaw is trying to have here. We try to focus that way but we try to let people get in what they can and sell and enjoy (making),” he said.

Admission the sale is $5 with children 12 and under free.

People paying $5 for admission on Friday will receive a stamp that allows them free entry on Saturday. An opportunity to check out what is offered and then come back later and make a purchase or just explore and see more what the vendors are offering.

“We just plan to have people come in wander around and buy as much stuff as they can,” he said.

The sale was not held two years ago - due to the COVID - 19 mandates - but ran last year.

Asked about if a person would like to wear a mask as a personal health decision Bader said people if they chose to do so are more than welcome to do so. He said they just want to make people comfortable as the sale possibly can.