The Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) is bringing its Holiday Market back this month. The market, now in its second year, will be lots of fun for Camosun students to engage with, says CCSS pride director Emily Lam, who is involved with organizing the event.
“We’re going to have approximately 40 student vendors, and this is a cash-only event,” says Lam. “These vendors range from a good variety of businesses, so they’re planning to sell some pre-made food such as bread, baked goods, dried pasta, jams, as well as hot sauce. And we also have some vendors selling jewellery, so beaded earrings, resin, silver, as well as some artists, so art prints, cards, paintings, and clothes, fibre art, candles, to name a few.”
The primary goals of the market are to inspire students to do their best work and connect students with each other, says Lam.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity for our student vendors to promote their businesses and to connect with members of our community, and this event can help students to become inspired and see some of the talent and craft our vendors can offer,” she says. “And, overall, it’s just important to support small businesses rather than huge mega-corporations.”
Lam says that this year’s market will address some of the criticism of last year’s.
“This year is more or less going to be the same, but we have taken some of the advice and concerns from last year, such as loud music,” says Lam. “We are going to tone that down a bit, and we’re going to make it more inclusive and just have a good time.”
Lam believes that events like the Holiday Market allow for a sense of community between students on campus.
“We wanted to give students an opportunity to connect with other students and to become engaged on campus and kind of get to know each other,” she says.
Lam says that the best part about her job is putting together events like this one.
“I love to interact with students and to get to advocate for student issues and to also help run events and just getting involved,” she says.
Lam says that she hopes students will connect with each other and support local endeavours through the Holiday Market.
“Just to support local businesses and be more engaged with students and their, I guess, businesses as well,” Lam says. “Our student society is going to be also accepting donations of non-perishable food items to go towards our student food bank, and we’ll also be having a hot-chocolate bar by donation with some snacks.”
One of Lam’s favourite parts of connecting with students is the happiness surrounding events like these.
“I get to see enjoyment, happiness,” she says, “and just being part of our community.”
CCSS Holiday Market
3 pm to 6 pm Wednesday, November 29
Wilna Thomas 224
camosunstudent.org