Christmas Fair held on December 3rd 2011
The Christmas bazaar is a unique event which features more than 40 artisans and vendors. Most of the items offered are made with natural fibres and are hand-crafted. Children and parents can attend the marionette theatre and participate in workshops including toy-making and beeswax candle-making. A restaurant is also available and offers a wonderful variety of delicious home-made dishes.
Why do we hold the Marché de Noël each year?
Of course, this is one of the two annual community events that the school holds as a fundraiser for the school (the other is the Fête Champêtre).
But, what do we, as families of the school, get from holding the Marché de Noël? Surprisingly, a lot:
Gathering together as a community with friends and family – the parents, teachers, alumni and students work together to make this event a success. It allows the opportunity to meet new people, see those we’ve known and work together for a common goal. The restaurant allows us to share a meal together.
For the children, this is an opportunity to meet their friends in a familiar, but transformed environment. They observe and learn from their parents pulling together with other families to create a community event. When the children participate in the workshops, they have the opportunity to do something unusual with their parents and, in many cases, create something.
An unparalleled shopping experience – there are many quality products offered here in one place, that we would have to search all over various parts of Montreal to find. The items offered are aligned with the Waldorf pedagogy, hand-crafted and made from natural materials with an effort to reduce environmental impact. Shopping at the market supports local artisans while also supporting the school.
Tips to maximize the enjoyment of this event:
Preparations with children: We all bring food for sale at the restaurant. One nice thing to do, if possible, is have your children help with the preparations. This activity creates an awareness of how a community can come together around an event and also provides an opportunity for you to spend some valuable time with your children during a busy period.
Contribution during the weekend: Please plan to spend 2-3 hours (per family) working for the event. Also, please try to avoid having both parents on the schedule – make sure you have time to be together as a family, too!
Family time: Take time to attend a workshop with your child(ren). The workshops offer a great opportunity to do something different with your children. Note: Each workshop has a small cost (less than $5) to cover the costs of materials.
Planning: This is a big event and it requires effort from many of us. Preparing in advance may help make it more enjoyable for your family. Here are some ideas:
- You may want to bring friends or other family members to help to keep an eye on the children – more adults can often make an event more enjoyable.
- Consider the financial impact of the event. Spending money, especially at the holidays, can create quite a bit of stress.
- Assess your family’s budget and plan accordingly.
- Lunch at the restaurant costs $12 for adults and children 14 and over, $6 for children (age 6-13) and $3 for wee ones (age 2-5). The workshops cost $2-5 each. There will be raffles and, of course, you’ll want to prepare to do some shopping as well!
Try not to plan too much for the weekend – if possible, plan a day of rest on Sunday.
The Parents Committee (with collaboration from Mme. Bougie)
Information : (514) 481-56864855 A, av. Kensington, Montréal