Charlottetown's Victorian Christmas market a chilly, wet one
Cold and wet weather Friday and Saturday hampered Charlottetown's third annual Victorian Christmas Market, although organizers say it's not possible to know exactly how many people attended because it was a free, unticketed event.
This was the first year Discover Charlottetown took over the event from a volunteer group, spending $15,000 to market the event to people from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
"Well, it's pretty frustrating," said Heidi Zinn, the executive director of Discover Charlottetown.
"Certainly very disappointing when you're planning these things you're picturing white fluffy snowflakes falling down and Christmas music kind of breathing through the whole of downtown. But that certainly wasn't the case," Zinn said.
While overnight stays were up over last year, Zinn said there were still only 50 hotel rooms booked for the event Friday and Saturday night.
Despite the wet weather, some of the 60 vendors told Zinn they earned as much as they did at Farm Day in the City.
'Super supportive'
"I don't think there's any more positive place than P.E.I. and everyone was super-supportive," Zinn added. "Christmas spirit was still kind of flying high."
Remember the humble beginnings of Farm Day in the City 10 years ago, Zinn said — an event which this year drew 15,000 people in one day.
Zinn hopes the Victorian Christmas Market will grow into something similar, but it's it's up to the board to decide whether to try the event again in 2017. That decision will likely be made by February.
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