A weekend of fun at the Whitecourt Chamber’s trade fair

After two years without an event, the Whitecourt and District Chamber of Commerce finally held their annual trade fair last weekend. Chamber president Mark Dickin said that it was nice to get back to doing what they are used to doing. “The last trade fair we had was in 2019. Then, of course, with everything that happened over the last two years, we couldn’t have it. We tried to plan them but then had to cancel them for obvious reasons, so we are excited to be able to do it this year.”

Dickin said that there was a lot of learning getting back in the swing of things. “It’s a mix of emotions as people are still getting engaged back with society, so we are a little bit smaller this year than we had planned, but that’s ok. We have booths sold out in the arena and lots of engagement from great vendors. I’m sure we will learn a lot from this event that we can use going forward.” This year’s show utilized the one arena space plus part of the parking lot, with 60 vendors.

“We will have a lot to debrief when the weekend is done. It’s almost like learning how to do everything all over again after two years without. Even people coming in are learning how to do trade fairs again and learning more about what people want that may have been different from a few years ago,” explained Dickin. “I know that some Chambers around the province have commented that they’ve had either good experiences or not so great experiences. It’s kind of like a re-start for us all.”

Dickin added that once it was confirmed that the show would happen this year, the excitement began building right away. “The only events we’ve been able to do as a Chamber over the last couple of years are the golf tournaments. We’re a member-focused organization, and being able to give members to engage with the public and network and things of that nature is a great start.”

Many of the crowd favourites were back, including the ever-popular mini donuts. The unmistakable smell of the cinnamon sugar or icing sugar-covered pastries hits you when you enter the arena. Another fan favourite is the “chip stix.” The spiral potato snack with your choice of seasonings sprinkled on top is a must. The food at this year’s event was most certainly on point, from Bannock, perogies, hot dogs, beef jerky, candy, and dumplings to walking tacos, fries, and everything in between.

One of the best parts of the trade fair is always the draws, and nearly every vendor had some kind of prize going and some type of swag to collect. The GFL Environmental booth featured tons of loot, including temporary garbage truck tattoos, mini green GFL footballs, and pens with a moving garbage truck featured inside. The Town of Whitecourt booth just across the aisle had water-resistant phone cases that float if accidentally dropped, perfect for those riding the slides at Rotary Park or tubing down the McLeod.

The trade fair featured booths from numerous businesses, including Whitecourt Transport, The Brick, Tap Cha, Millar Western, JBS Mechanical, ECHO Society, Christenson Developments, Alberta Prosperity Project, Altogether Shredding Services, Bannock Mechanic, Kastelen Sausages, Lily Silk Art, River Rock Fudge, Total Orthotics, and Primerica.

 Dickin said they had over 400 visitors on day one and over 600 on day two. With a jam-packed weekend of events in town, including the Children’s Festival at the AJMC and Whitecourt Farmer’s Market, visitors made the rounds from one event to the next. “Everyone seems to be happy to be back in person and have some personal contact. I think it’s fantastic.”

The Whitecourt and District Chamber of Commerce is always eager to add new businesses to the family. “We are member-centric. We wish to create an atmosphere of excitement for our businesses and create that voice for networking. We are looking at expanding. We’ve now created a sub-chapter in Mayerthorpe. We have a committee engaging with Mayerthorpe businesses, and we envision more of a Highway 43 opportunity.”

He said helping expand the area is a win for everyone. “There are things available in Mayerthorpe that are not available in Whitecourt and vice versa. It’s nice to say, hey, you don’t have to go to Edmonton to buy that because there’s a place in Mayerthorpe or in Whitecourt that has what you need. Let’s keep the shopping local and help support our businesses. We all reap the benefits of shopping local, and we need to make sure that we are boosting our businesses here in the area. We need to make sure we are helping our fellow neighbours and business people.”

To learn more about the Chamber and what it does for businesses through support, education, promotion, and advocacy, visit www.whitecourtchamber.com.