Thursday 29 September 2011

Our Day at Fieldstone Vintage Market


Sorry for the delay in getting pictures up and running! As you can imagine, we’re still glowing from our weekend at Fieldstone Vintage Market. Many of you wished you could have been there so we asked the very talented Sharalee Prang to document our day and, boy, did she ever! Sharalee captured so many poignant moments of our vendors and customers alike, not to mention each of the incredible displays that our vendors worked so hard to put together. It was extremely difficult to choose which ones to post today so be sure to check out our Flickr account for many more stunning photos of our day in the field. Also visit Birch + Bird for another batch of Sharalee’s pictures…they’ll make you feel like you were actually with us at the EcoDairy last Saturday! In case you missed it, be sure to also her slideshow on vimeo.
Our morning started out with the field (and all of our tents!) wrapped in a heavy fog, making things just a wee bit damp. But after a beautiful sunrise, the fog lifted leaving nothing but blue skies and sunshine behind! It wasn’t long before the parking lot was full and customers were eagerly lined up for our 9am opening…
The kids all had tonnes of fun too…from pony rides, to live music, to a fantastic art station hosted by The Reach gallery, there was more than enough to keep them entertained while mom and dad shopped…and shopped!
Be sure to check out our list of all of our Fieldstone Vendors…most have links to webpages or online shops so you can continue your market shopping from home. The networking opportunities on Saturday were amazing, with customers coming from Victoria, Vancouver and beyond and we’ve been so excited to watch our vendors grow and expand their small businesses. After all, they’re the reason we chose to host a vintage and handmade market!
We had live music performances by Hanna Williamson on the violin, local band Old Mare, and singer/songwriter Anna Vandas. They’re all so talented and it was fun watching people dance while they shopped or take a break and have a picnic lunch while enjoying the music…
And here we are at the end of the day…a little wilted but still smiling! We’re Rachel Janzen+ Lily Ellis ofBirch + Bird (top right) and Helinda Vanderkooi and Tanya Curtis of the Bakerview EcoDairy (bottom left) and we’d like to take a moment to say a HUGE thank you to the Bakerview EcoDairy for hosting such an amazing market and working so incredibly hard to have everything ready for our big day! More thanks to Canuck Place for manning the front gate and raising funds for the much needed children’s hospice in Abbotsford. If you forgot to give on Saturday, please help support this wonderful organization and visit the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice website here. The City of Abbotsford and Tourism Abbotsford also lent a hand, donating several tents and generously printing off hundreds of rack cards advertising Fieldstone and several other local business…thank you! And last but not least, another HUGE thank you to our amazingly talented vendors and thousands of happy customers…we could never have done this without you!
All photos by Sharalee Prang. See more at our Flickr page here and please always give credit where credit is due.

Monday 19 September 2011

You Are All Invited!


With the air feeling just a little more crisp than it did a few weeks ago and the leaves beginning to turn the glorious colours of Fall, the Fieldstone Vintage Market is a great way to bring in the season and maybe even start your Christmas shopping!  We have a fantastic line-up of vendors and if you haven’t stopped by the Fieldstone vendor gallery yet, you really should!  Now is the time to do some pre-market window stalking to make your market day plan of attack.  It always pays off to be prepared so here are some things to know…
What to bring:
Reusable Tote Bag(s)
Cash (most vendors will be cash only)
Comfortable shoes 
A Truck (if you’re looking for furniture!)
Friends (they make everything better!)
Directions and Parking:  The Bakerview EcoDairy is conveniently located just off the #1 Highway,  if you aren’t familiar with the area, click here for directions. There will be plenty of parking for Fieldstone guests on the Ecodairy property as well as across Sumas Way.  Parking attendants will be around to help you find the best parking spot possible.  If the lot happens to be full, please use the cross walk if you choose to park across the street.
Out of towners:  If you’ve come from afar and are wondering where to stay and what to do, our friends at Tourism Abbotsford have the whole weekend planned for you.  Click here for details.
Rain or Shine:  The weather forecast looks promising for Saturday but just in case, all the vendors will be under cover.  So don’t let a few raindrops stop you from enjoying the Fieldstone Vintage Market, just put on your Wellies and a smile because we’ll be on the field rain or shine.
With plenty of shopping and activities to enjoy, we hope that you plan to spend a good part of your day with us. Your whole family is welcome and there will be entertainment and activities to keep them occupied while you shop until your heart’s content.  And if you still need more time, you can always bribe them with ice cream.  The clock is ticking and you can be sure that the vendors are furiously working over time to get things ready for us.  We can’t wait to see what’s in store and we hope you’ll join us on September 24th at the Bakerview EcoDairy!

Wednesday 7 September 2011

With a Little Help From Our Friends


September 24th is only a few short weeks away and we are all busy with preparations for a fantastic day at Fieldstone Vintage Market! You may have noticed some beautiful rack cards and posters floating around town and we are so thrilled by the support of our friends and our community to help us make this market a success for all 50 of our vintage and handmade vendors! Tourism Abbotsford very generously printed off these gorgeous rack cards (original artwork by Jessica MacDonald for Fieldstone) and organized some great deals at two hotels very near to the EcoDairy. For all of you urban girls eager to get a good spot in line on Saturday morning, why not make a weekend of it and book a night at either the Ramada or the Best Western Bakerview hotel…
Not sure what else to do while in town after shopping ’til you drop? Visit historic Downtown Abbotsfordand stop by Tracycakes Bakery Cafe for a sweet treat. Enjoy a scenic drive followed by a wine tasting at the award-winning Mount Lehman Winery. Relax your mind and body at the luxurious Wild Orange Spafollowed by a delicious dinner, featuring local ingredients of course, at Restaurant 62. Sounds like the perfect day in the country!
And don’t forget that we can all give back to a wonderful organization in the Lower Mainland on September 24th. Admission to Fieldstone will be by donation to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice,helping sick kids and their families in our community and beyond.