Explore, shop, and donate this season

Jump on Christmas shopping

Photo: Contributed

Mission Hill Winery's Festival of Tree.

With so many events to explore over the coming weeks, in a year that is decidedly more difficult for organizations fundraising so they can support the individuals and families they serve, combining an experience with a charitable element is ideal.

Throw in a holiday shopping list that needs to be checked off, and it’s a win-win. Or win-win-win.

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in West Kelowna recently welcomed hundreds of guests to the opening celebration for its Festival of Trees, on display until Jan. 5, supporting the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. Book a winery experience and visit the exquisite wine shop for gifts, then vote for your favourite tree or simply donate online.

Make an afternoon of exploring the Westside Wine Trail by stopping by Grizzli Winery this Saturday. Nov. 30, for a Festive Christmas Market and Charity Fundraiser for Paws It Forward. This is an indoor family and pet-friendly afternoon that will include local artisan vendors market, and Paws It Forward will be on site with puppies from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The market continues on select days in December, supporting several causes:

• Dec. 1, 8 and 15: In exchange for Santa photos, donate non-perishable food items to the Central Okanagan Food Bank onsite or bring new, unwrapped toys or gift cards for teens to support the Salvation Army.

• Dec. 7: Mamas for Mamas will be on site from noon to 3 p.m. and will gladly accept donated items of gently used toys, new kids' clothing /seasonal wear and cash donations.

• Dec. 14: BGC Okanagan Recreation will be on site to help support its Youth Homelessness Campaign. Donations of hygiene products, socks, underwear, toques, mitts, and hats are requested.

Speaking of Santa, Penticton’s Cannery Brewing hosts him and Mrs. Claus from noon to 2 p.m. on Dec. 7 and 8 for photos. Bring your own camera or smartphone, along with a donation for the South Okanagan Children's Charity.

Get some shopping in this weekend, as the Peachland Wellness Centre has its annual Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Seventy vendors will be at the Peachland Community Centre, and admission is by donation. The Peachland Wellness Centre provides programs and services that connect people through support, education, information, referral and outreach.

Finally, a personal favourite. London Drugs, once again has Stocking Stuffers for Seniors at locations across Western Canada. Visit your local store, find the Christmas Tree adorned Stocking Stuffers for Seniors gift tags, and grab a tag.

Tags contain a wish list from a local senior, and all you need to do is purchase or bring new, non-gift-wrapped items, along with the gift tag, back to the store’s Customer Service counter by Dec. 8 to brighten a senior citizen’s season.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Remembering the old, small town church bazaar

Who doesn't love a bazaar?

Photo: Contributed

A friend called me recently to share her experiences at a well-known church bazaar in the Lower Mainland.

If you’re too young to remember these community fundraisers or have never attended one, think of them as the pre-cursor to today’s artisan craft shows and makers’ markets.

As craft show season throughout the Okanagan Valley begins in earnest, memories of going to bazaars—in church basements, school gyms, and hockey arenas—have been popping up.

The seasonal bazaar, in its heyday, blended community spirit and tradition together. Usually a fundraiser for charitable programs or for the host venue so it could be well-maintained, bazaars may have included live music, activities for the kids—who else remembers going to the “fishing” booth to win a prize?—card tournaments, raffles, puppet theatre, a swap meet or a “white elephant” sale, talent shows, afternoon social teas or hot meal options.

Rooted in agriculture, in the early 1900s church bazaars in the Okanagan began as small gatherings often organized by women’s groups. Harvest bazaars, timed to celebrate the end of the growing season, allowed farmers and orchardists to bring their produce to sell. The first farmers’ markets, one might say.

By the 1930s, Kelowna’s St. Michael’s Church bazaar was a staple, with community members traveling from nearby farms and towns to attend, providing financial support for the region.

I’m told that the Church of St. Andrew in Okanagan Falls became particularly famous for its raffle baskets, with people looking forward to the chance to win one sometimes lining up hours before the event began.

Though they’ve evolved with modern conveniences, have expanded to numerous venues and the charitable element has perhaps become an afterthought, the essence of the bazaar remains the same—a joyful marketplace where homemade items are plentiful and you may run into friends you haven’t seen in a while or bond with strangers over a display of handmade knitting.

While the word “bazaar” comes from Persian and refers to a town’s public market district, Wikipedia suggests it was first attached to the words charity, or church, in the Victorian era, meaning “fancy fair.”

While attending university in Ottawa years ago, the Ukrainian couple who rented me a room would sometimes take me to their church’s winter bazaar. I always went for the large plate of perogies smothered in homemade mushroom gravy. I also came home with loads of treats and squares to get me through exam season.

And one year, I got a small glass ornament with a hand painted dove and the word “peace” in glitter lettering, which I bring out every year.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Good time of year for an ‘errand hang’

Get things done, together

Photo: Contributed

About a year ago, I shared the idea of the “errand hang” as an option for casual socializing during the holiday season.

While most of us are now back to being fully comfortable gathering for parties, dining out or planning to attend seasonal events, not everyone will be equally as comfortable opening their wallets this year. In fact, many may be more cautious with their spending.

This is where an errand hang (also known as “friend hang”) comes into play—meeting up with a friend or two to tackle a collective to do list.

It’s low key, low cost and doesn’t force anyone to find a place where they have to share their obligatory summary of recent life updates over lunch or drinks.

As we embrace self-care—physical, emotional and mental—having an errand hang falls into the category of financial self-care. A thoughtful reduction in spending could help manage seasonal stress and while hospitality businesses could use our support, why not do that in January when traffic is down?

Hop into a group chat to suggest an errand hang by offering to be the driver and asking your pals to designate one person to take care of the route. Have the listmaker in the group—we all have one of those friends, right?—keep a checklist of where you need to go and what you want to accomplish.

Need to declutter? Have both you and your friend pick one closet to clean out and organize items into the Amazon boxes you probably haven’t yet taken to recycling—one box for charity, another for tossing out or recycling and a third for selling. Hopefully you’ll keep each other accountable and not let items destined for donation sit in the trunk of the car for months.

Pack your old papers together and take them to be shredded at the next shred-a-thon hosted by your bank or credit union for charity. Wash the old pet toys currently collecting dust and take them to a shelter.

Have a “family hang” that doesn’t require a long day in the kitchen. Ask a relative if you can help with a task that’s been bugging them—extra help to rearrange the pantry, dropping off or picking up, mending for repair or optimizing their computer or another device so it works a bit better, if you have that skill.

Share the load at grocery shopping. If you’re a solo shopper, this is your chance to buy in bulk and then split the goods so you and your friend can put your savings away for a future night out.

There’s really no need for meticulous planning. When you call or text a friend to get together and the response is that they’ve got a bunch of things to do, offer to come along and help get things done.

You’ll be amazed by how much catching up can be done during an errand hang.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Why not sip ciders this season?

Visit a B.C. cidery

Photo: Olivia Bauso/Unsplash.

If you’re heading out to a beautiful pumpkin patch or farm stand display this month, consider adding a visit to an artisan cidery to your agenda.

Those who favour hard cider, and who may be considering a road trip before the winter snow arrives, can find a plenty of places to sip around the Pacific Northwest thanks to the Northwest Cider Association, home of the Northwest Cider Cup or have a look at the Cider Trails curated by the B.C. Farm Crafted Cider Association.

There are so many types of ciders – dry, sweet, still, sparkling, iced, hopped, sour – made from apples or pears (or both), and available in a variety of vessels from single-serve small cans to full-sized bottles meant to be popped and shared like sparkling wine, it’s well worth sampling a few sips.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

If you’re in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley Cider Company offers flights of cider, cider cocktails, alongside a selection of local craft beer and wines to enjoy with a bite from its food menu that includes a variety of pizzas.

In Saanichton on Vancouver Island, Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse currently has more than two dozen ciders available, including three non-alcoholic options under its Temperance Series.

Shuswap Cider Co. in Salmon Arm won a gold medal at the 2024 Northwest Cider Cup for its Blueberry, an apple cider infused with blueberry compote; a gold for its Fireside Spice, flavoured with nutmeg cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and a dash of vanilla, and a silver for its Perry, a low tannin pear cider.

Upside Cider near the Kelowna Airport offers a variety of ‘share’ boards, pizzas, and fried chicken in its lounge, and several intriguing ciders such as Upside Earl Grey and Upside Chai Latte. Both sound perfect for a warm Okanagan autumn day.

Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive has several cideries: Dominion Cider Co., Millionaires’ Row, Nomad Cider, and Summerland Heritage Cider. On the Naramata Bench, you’ll find Naramata Cider Co. at Elephant Island Winery, Creek & Gully, and La Petite Abeille.

At the southern end of the Okanagan Valley, Maverick Estate Winery in Oliver has several ciders, halfway between Oliver and Osoyoos there’s Orchard Hill Estate Cidery, and Destination Osoyoos has put together a list that covers a good part of the area, including the Similkameen.

Given the seasonal nature many of these businesses, be sure to visit their websites or social media channels for latest updates on hours, product availability, and upcoming fall and winter special events.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.