Dorset Team Winter and Christmas Fairs 2024

 

As the festive season approaches, Dorset comes alive with a variety of Christmas fairs that capture the magic of the holidays and encourage people to shop small. For those looking to support local businesses, find unique gifts, and immerse themselves in a festive atmosphere, there are three must-attend events: The Dorset Team Winter Fair, The Dorset Team Christmas Fair, and A Dorset Christmas Fair. These events are ideal for families, friends, and anyone eager to get into the Christmas spirit.

Dorset Team Winter Fair 

Date: Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November 2024

Location: Allendale Centre in Wimborne, Dorset

Details: This winter fair kicks off the season with a celebration of local Dorset artists, artisans, makers and creatives. It is the perfect opportunity to shop for early Christmas presents or just enjoy a day out. The fair features a wide array of handmade gifts with everything from a hand forged poker to Christmas cards by local artists! It is the ideal place to come for those who appreciate quality, creativity and are looking for some unique gifts which you won't find on the highstreet. 

Why Visit: Start your Christmas shopping early and enjoy a more relaxed way to shop. Discover amazing local makers and a festive atmosphere. There is an on-site cafe serving food and drink all day and dogs are welcome in all of the venue. 

Seller Highlights include:

- Jacqui Fairweather - Selling beautiful handmade ceramics from mugs to trivets 

- Strings and Things - Macrame homewares and accessories in unique and beautiful colours. Everything from your more traditional macrame plant hangers to Christmas ornaments. 

- PeggyRae - Run by Angie selling soy wax candles and melts with a mixture of new and vintage vessels these make fantastic gifts for the home. 

A Dorset Christmas Fair 

Date: Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November 

Location: Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset

Details: Set in the unique surroundings of the Tank Museum, A Dorset Christmas Fair promises two days of festive fun. With 100 stalls offering a wide variety of locally made products, visitors can enjoy live entertainment and festive treats. For a truly unique experience, Santa will arrive on an armoured vehicle and will be doing laps of the tank arena! Tickets are available through the Tank Museum. Free entry to the event if you have a year pass. 

Why Visit: A fantastic festive event in a really unique setting, with live entertainment, Santa’s special appearance, and plenty of local stalls offering something for everyone. It’s the ideal way to start your Christmas shopping while enjoying a unique day out. You can explore the whole of the Tank Museum and its amazing collection as well as enjoy the festive atmosphere. A perfect day out for all the family! 

Dorset Team Christmas Fair 2024

Date: Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December 

Location: Allendale Centre, Wimborne, Dorset

Details: As Christmas draws near, The Dorset Team Christmas Fair is a great way to get some unique gifts for everyone on your list. From handmade Christmas decorations to bespoke jewellery, it is the perfect place to shop small and local and pick up those unique gifts. 

Why Visit: Meet talented local makers and shop small. It is more important than ever. You will love the fun, festive atmosphere and there is something for everyone and every budget. 

Why These Fairs Should Be in Your 2024 Diary

These Christmas fairs offer more than just shopping; they are a chance to support local makers and creatives. Shop small, local and buy something meaningful this Christmas. From handmade ceramics to artisan hampers, you’ll find thoughtful, one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list.

Dorset Team 

The Dorset Team a group of local makers, artisans and creatives based in Dorset. The group is run by Rachel from The Dorothy Days who is a knitwear designer and maker. We organise craft fairs and markets as well as having an active online community where makers can come for advice and peer support. 

Through the Dorset Team fairs we hope to introduce the public to a wide range of talented local makers and encourage them to shop small and local and support the local maker community. 

Find more about us https://www.instagram.com/dorsetteam/ and https://www.facebook.com/dorsetteam

Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Heidi M Illustration

The countdown is on for the Dorset Team Christmas Fair. Each week we are meeting a different stallholder who will be at the event.

This week we are meeting Heidi from Heidi M Illustration who will be selling on the Sunday. Heidi is based in Bournemouth and is a full time artist and children's book illustrator. She sells storybook style portraits, greeting cards, prints, original watercolour artworks and clutch bags with her own illustrations. 

Heidi works from her studio in Bournemouth and uses the traditional methods of watercolour and ink to produce her illustrations.

'They say every picture tells a story, and that what I love to do with my illustrations, I like to create narrative with my inks and watercolours and bring a smile with my quirky, and funny greeting cards, custom portraits and artworks. I like to bring my personality into my work, and using traditional medias of a dip pen, inks and watercolours I pour my imagination, hopes and dreams into each piece. About me? Like the girl with red shoes who couldn't stop dancing, I can't stop drawing.'

The Dorset Team Christmas Fair is taking place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December. Heidi will be selling on the Sunday only so if you want to come along to meet her and see her beautiful artwork please do put Sunday 2nd in your diary (or why not come on both Saturday and Sunday!?). Entry to the fair is FREE and there will be two rooms filled with stalls by local artists, makers, vintage sellers and craft suppliers. 

More information can be found over on our Facebook page here: http://facebook.com/events/1994393970585608/

Meet the Seller - Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Lynn from Nemeton

Name: Lynn Davy
Shop Name: Nemeton
Shop Link: http://nemeton.etsy.com/
Located in: Wimborne
Sells: Beadwoven and strung jewellery, beading kits and beading patterns

Maker's Story: I've been playing with beads since the age of ten and am still fascinated by what they can do. Inspiration comes from many sources but particularly the colours and textures of the Dorset countryside. I've recently written a book about how to make bead jewellery (Learn to Make Bead Jewellery, Search Press, 2015) which I hope will introduce others to the joy of beads!

I just love to make things out of beads, all kinds of beads! My beadwork is very individual, each piece is different, and it's such fun seeing my creations find new homes and travel to parts of the world where I've never been myself.

I design a lot of kits and patterns too, to enable other beaders to have the same sort of fun that I do, combining colours and shapes to make something unique. I never get tired of seeing how each pattern turns out for each maker - very often my customers come up with a colour combination or design tweak that I'd never have thought of. Each of us is unique and that's something to be celebrated!

I work from home, in a lovely light upstairs room full of pictures, books, sentimental memorabilia... and beads. It looks like chaos but I do know where (almost) everything is! It inspires me to have lots of beautiful things around me. I am very fortunate.

Dorset Team Christmas Fair: Lynn will be selling her beautiful jewellery at the Dorset Team Christmas Fair on Saturday 3rd December at the Allendale Centre in Wimborne. 

Please come along, meet Lynn and our other makers and sellers.

Doors open at 10am and close at 4pm and it is free entry.

For more information please see our Facebook event page or blog post

3 weeks until our Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Etsy Made Local

Dorset Team Christmas Fair - Please feel free to share this graphic on your own social media pages!

It is just 3 weeks until our Dorset Team Christmas Fair! Hope you are all as excited as we are! We have been enjoying seeing all your photographs of your work in progress products, fair preparations, demo stall layouts and sneak previews! Please keep them coming and remember to share @etsyuk with the hashtags #etsymadelocal and #dorsetteam 

We will be sharing some of the posts using the hashtags and Etsy are keeping an eye out and sharing some of the posts too!

Word about the fair is spreading fast and it has been fantastic to see the numbers on the event page grow daily https://www.facebook.com/events/866031100155674/

Hope all your preparations are going well. We have some fantastic blog posts from last year that will help you prepare for the team fair or any other events that you might be doing.

#1 - Custom Orders - http://dorsetteam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/advertise-custom-orders.html

#2 - Practicing your stall layout http://dorsetteam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/the-big-practise.html

#3 - Creating a product crib sheet http://dorsetteam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/create-product-crib-sheets.html

You can find more blog posts by searching back through our team blog.

Can't wait to see you all at the fair!