Invest a few hours a month from Aug. – Nov. to support this beloved event

The annual Craft Fair is the official kick off to the holidays in Thorncliffe and Greenview every year. It’s been running since the ‘80s and as the volunteers who organised the event for so many years step back, the TGCA is looking for some folks to step in and ensure the legacy of this much beloved event endures and is around for years to come.

The intended purpose of this brand-new committee is to structure the operations of the craft fair so that volunteers from the community can run it entirely. As it stands, the programming and community engagement coordinator, Vanessa Gillard, is the chair and will guide the committee until all roles are adequately filled and the event is running smoothly.

The 2023 Craft Fair is Nov. 17, 5 – 9 pm & Nov. 18, 10 am – 3 pm this year and the committee will be meeting once a month before the event and then once after. Aug. 25, Sept. 15, Oct. 13, Nov. 10 & Nov. 24 post-event review. Meetings are in person at the TGCA, 10:30 am on Fridays, however, we can be flexible and move it to the evenings, if needed. Most roles, all-in-all, will be around a 10 to 15-hour commitment each year, and we are looking for folks who can return each year, if at all possible.

Please note that committee members don’t have to have all the skills listed in the role. The committee will support its members in learning as we go!

We are looking to fill the following roles:

Marketing and Community Relations Director (1 volunteer)

• Come up with ad concept/theme for the fair to bring to committee (Sept. 15). TGCA designer will create design and this director will have final say.
• Member to put up posters at grocery stores, local businesses, schools and churches with help from volunteer, if needed.
• Submit event to local news outlets, events websites.
• Approach local businesses to garner support/donations for the fair, if deemed necessary. TBD.
• Come up with inventive ways to spread the word about the fair.
• Social media skills are required.
• Attend the fair and take pictures/videos. Post online, submit to TGCA.

ROLE CLAIMED Vendor Relations Director (1 volunteer)

• All correspondence with vendors goes through this committee member.
• Vendors relations director’s email will appear on the website for vendors to contact after registration is closed.
• This director will manage the vendor waitlist, as well as vendor cancelations and rebook new vendors in collaboration with the floor plan/table coordinator.
• Vendor attendance/behavior is noted for the following year’s fair to ensure all vendors are following protocols etc.

ROLE CLAIMED Bake Sale Coordinators (2 volunteers)

• Become familiar with AHS rules and regulations surrounding bake sales.
• Coordinators may want to split duties.
• Decide how bake sale volunteers (bakers) will be attracted to the event.
• Write an ad for the TGCA to advertise.
• Decide how much of which type of baked good you will need, assign to your volunteers.
• Correspond with community bake sale volunteers to have baked goods dropped off on the Friday.
• Determine how much of what will be featured (try not to have all of the same items)
• Coordinate the bake sale during the craft fair event – either be on site or find volunteers to work the sale.
• Determine how payment will be taken.
  • Cash? Float needed? TGCA can facilitate, TBD.
• Submit funds to TGCA.

If you think any of these roles could be a good fit for you and you’re interested in supporting quality of life in the community, please fill out the Craft Fair Committee application form below.

If you have any questions about the committee or these roles, please email Vanessa, v.gillard@tgcacalgary.com