'Tis the season for markets. And one of the coziest begins tomorrow when a variety of vendors from the Penticton Farmers' Market move into the friendly – and warm – confines of Shatford Centre.

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It's the Penticton Winter Farmers' Market, and Saturday is the first of four dates between now and Christmas.

Katherine Harris is the Market manager, and she's pumped up for the indoor season. "We're excited to be back at Shatford. They have new leadership there and we're happy to be in there and partnering with them."

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Harris says the market is "basically a small sampling of what everyone is used to seeing in the summer. There's a lot of local produce, prepared food, some crafts, that kind of thing. And a lot of our vendors start getting into the gift-y stuff. So we have a few that do wreaths, gift packages, that sort of thing."

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Kim Palmer, executive director of the Okanagan School of the Arts and part of the new Shatford management team to which Hicks referred, is equally upbeat to be hosting.

"The market is a long-standing tradition that we're proud to be part of. As far as I know, I think they ended up with waiting list, so we know there are lot of vendors eager to be in there."

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And she's predicting a big crowd, which is typical for the annual indoor market launch. "The people with the Market have been promoting it, and the people of Penticton know that's where to do their Christmas shopping once the weather turns cold."

This year, says Palmer, market patrons can also check out a pair of Shatford exhibits while they shop.

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"The 'Travel Memoirs' exhibit is on right now, and by the time folks come back for the next market date on November 23rd, we'll have opened a brand new exhibit called 'Children of the world.'"

Shatford Centre is also offering several courses this fall, including one that'll help budding artists paint portraits, another where you can blend custom perfume from essential oils, and a pair of holiday-based crafting workshops. For more information, hit up the website.

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Warm, dry and sporting the same great vibe that's made its summer cousin so popular, the Penticton Winter Farmers' Market runs every other week (Nov 9, Nov 23, Dec 7, and Dec 21) at the Shatford Centre at 760 Main. Hours are 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Photo Credit: NowMedia

Photo Credit: NowMedia