Saturday Nov 21st (10am to 4pm) Sunday Nov 22nd (10am to 4pm)
Both floors of the Filberg Centre
{ behind the Sid Williams Theatre at 5th St. and Cliffe Ave }
Fiesta World Craft Fair is on November 21st and 22nd, 2026. Once again, we'll be on two floors at the Florence Filberg Centre in Downtown Courtenay. #savethedates!
FIESTA has been bringing the treasures of the world to the Comox Valley for 34 years.
One thing that you may notice is how green FIESTA is, at a time when we are definitely looking for alternatives. The majority of the artisans operate out of their homes and small workshops. They are able to practice their craft in harmony with the environment in safe working conditions and the women can often have their young ones close and they can work part time. The artisans are also very innovative in reclaiming, re-valuing and recycling materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, such as coconut shells, cow horns, magazines, glass, pop cans, metal parts and much more! The people most affected by our world climate crisis are the marginalized of the world, those who have done almost nothing to cause our disastrous global warming. These are the people who you will be supporting when you shop at FIESTA. That is why FIESTA is such a win-win experience!
Some of our vendors are fair trade businesses that have their own stores and others are managed by volunteers. These resourceful, committed and caring folks are giving the people at the bottom a hand up, giving them dignity not charity! You can make a big difference to the village of Chuk Muk in Guatemala by buying an alternative Christmas gift. Aldea Maya works with students and provides school fees, computers and a homework center, lessons in gardening, cooking and hygiene. If you give a donation in someone’s name you will receive a homemade card to give that explains what your donation will be used for.
Four stores are coming to FIESTA! We are excited to welcome back Ten Thousand Villages from Abbotsford, Mondo and Company from Ganges on Saltspring Island, Mystic Lotus from Parksville and Global Village Nanaimo. They are all passionate about sourcing unique designs and quality handcrafted products; covering home decor, clothing, bath and body, ornaments, and food items, from over 30 countries.
Batiqua will bring delightfully designed textiles from her native Zimbabwe. Manzoor will be selling carpets and colourful abstract pillow covers. Shelley is back from Nepal with cozy slippers, funny felt hats and more. Blythe is back from East Africa with beautiful carved birds and new metal animals that are striking. Ba and Olivia are both bringing shea butter products from West and East Africa. Chosang will again bring is popular soft and colourful Tibetan shawls. Mark and Thanh have hundreds of pop up cards from Vietnam, how will you make up your mind? Jenny is now supporting 56 women in Kenya as they create gorgeous sisal baskets of all sizes that will last for generations. Margaret’s Nepalese jewellery is exquisite and her Christmas decorations will be difficult to choose from. Lovena and her family run the Gathering Place Trading Company selling organic teas and spices from small farmers in India and SE Asia. These are just some of the 36 vendors who come from the Lower Mainland and up and down the Island. Many are volunteers or operating a small business to provide markets for the crafts people of the world.
Fiesta also supports many local non-profits that are raising funds for overseas projects or working to make our Valley a home for all. The Ukranian Cultural Society will be selling their popular foods, perogies and cabbage rolls, frozen and ready to take home. Glacier Grannies, raising funds for African Grandmothers will again surprise us with their creative and practical homemade items, gorgeous angels and darling little felted birds, children’s clothing and so much more. L’Arche will have a great selection of soups and cookie ingredients attractively packaged and a great gift as are their beautiful candles. The Evergreen Seniors and the Creative Hands Collective will be selling their cards, bath bombs, Christmas decorations and more.
The FIESTA RESTAURANT IS BACK! We have been missing it since the Covid times. This year the Merville Grannies who raise funds for Grandmothers in Africa will be baking 3 kinds of muffins for morning coffee or snack time or your dessert at lunch. They will have coffee, tea and my favourite Indian chai and juices. For lunch we will have two soups , a carrot/ potato creamy cozy blend and a Palestinian Red Lentil which will be created by Izzeldin a visiting Palestinian chef. There will also be the very popular Peruvian empanadas baked by Jose from his Food Truck in Ucluelet. It will be great to have some tables and chairs to settle in and enjoy a delicious snack or lunch.
We will again enjoy the magic of Sandra Wilson face painter extraordinaire. This is a free gift for the young at heart and a thank you for supporting Fair Trade FIESTA! One of the highlights of FIESTA for the lucky winners is the free Raffle that comes with your $2 admission fee. Each of the Vendors donates an item or items that are around $30 and we take them and make up around 12 gift bags worth at least $100.each.
Fair trade is good for people and our Mother Earth! So bring your list, there is something for your Auntie May, and the kids and yourself. FIESTA is a warm breeze of positive energy that is saying “yes” to kindness, to inclusion, and to fairness! FIESTA IS SERIOUS FUN!!
 We sell all African skin care products (shea butter, African Black soap). We also have a baobab oil that is our latest selection. We sell shea butter, soaps, lotions, shampoos, and more. |
 For 10 years Aldea Maya has been selling Christmas cards designed by Vancouver Island students. These cards help us to fund our projects in Chuk Muk, Guatemala. |
 Batiqua is a fairtrade company specialised in the design and distribution of handcrafted textiles for home decor, proudly made in Harare, Zimbabwe. |
 The Comox Valley Conservation Calendar showcases photographs of local wildlife and iconic natural areas. Each month profiles one of the Valley’s stewardship groups working to protect and restore our watersheds and natural areas. |
 Didi Bahini is an importer and seller of beautiful handcrafted products from Nepal. |
 Eco Mama’s Global Community Gardens is a conscious, grassroots not for profit organization selling Ugandan baskets and textiles. |
 Gathering Place is our family business on Cortes Island, BC. We source organic teas, spices, sea salt and dried fruit directly from family farms and co-operatives in Canada and around the world. |
 Glacier Grannies sew and make beautiful textile products such as african angels, microwave cosies, aprons, dresses and eco-wraps. |
 Global Village Nanaimo sells fair trade goods such baskets from Ghana, Vietnam and Bangladesh as well as scarves, gloves, jewelry, household items, soaps, spices and much more! We also carry New Internationalist calendars and books. |
 Indiarts Collective offers unique, quality and ethnic handmade bags, accessories and jewelry that support and share South American artisans’ work and spreads awareness of each product’s history and significance. |
 With a generous donation; scarves, shawls, yoga bags and other goods were purchased in Nepal supporting Women’s Skills Development, a Children’s home and Helping Hands - Deaf and blind weavers. |
 L'ArcheWorx Collective offers fun and eco-friendly recycled wax candles, beeswax Advent candles and taper pairs, delicious soup cones in two sizes, art cards, calendars and canvas prints. |
 Our mission is to create opportunities and empower ARTISANS in developing countries around the world...to promote FAIR TRADE and to continue to source and develop products that are unique and HANDCRAFTED. |
 We offer a unique selection of garments, crafts, soft furnishings and collectibles. We spend several months each year in Indonesia, Thailand, India, Korea and Nepal to personally hand select each one of our goods. |
 Resilient Generations supports the economic and psychological development of children, youth, and women through services and the sale of products such as jewelry, scarves and other accessories. |
 Spectacled Bear Conservation Socierty (SBC) support artisans who make adorable felted animals. |