One of the many features the Dickens Festival provides each year is the opportunity for patrons to see vendors from all over Saskatchewan showcasing their products. Professionals in the field of art, clothing and beauty are brought together on Main Street to deliver a more intimate approach to business. The very theme of the festival and its markets are reminiscent of the markets in the Victorian era minus the mire of course. On Dec. 6 and 8, Carlyle featured three markets, the English Market, Victorian and Ye Olde Pearle, all with a different focus. Ye Old Pearle had vendors offering products and services in beauty, photography and essential oils. While at the Victorian Market one could find Native bead work and various other craft items. The English Market had vendors with cookware and various teas. But for many of the vendors at the market, the Dickens Festival is deeply rooted in their life and carries ample meaning, and is not merely a festival. The annual event forms a part of their own cause and influences many of the things they do in their life.
Wildlife rehabilitator, Cheryl Winkler attended the Dickens Festival its very first year and has been a regular ever since. She operates the Moose Mountain Recoup and Release Wildlife Rehabilitation (MMRRW) centre where she nurses injured or sick animals such as raccoons, foxes and squirrels back to health. Her program isn't government funded and she operates the organization on donations and fundraisers. Dickens, she said is integral to keeping MMRRW afloat. Winkler does a unique form of art known as feather paintings, which she had on display in the Victorian Market. She described her artwork and explained how her involvement with the Dickens Festival has helped her cause. "My artwork here is a God send right now; it really helps support our rehabilitation efforts. A lot of the paintings you see here are pictures you will see on my wildlife board. I use turkey feathers, some of them are single pieces, some of them are three, four, five feathers put together," she said.
"Most of the time I try to incorporate the natural colours of the feathersI thinks the feathers help bring out a third dimension of the bird and the animals."
Winkler said the festival has gradually grown over the years into a beloved event that pulls people from different parts of Saskatchewan. This she said has aided her art work to become more recognized.
"I've seen a lot of growth and I gained a lot of exposure through the bus tours that have come, I ended up having my paintings shown in the legislative building when a lady who was a member of the bus tour bought from me. Dickens has been a really good thing for me. I usually have the one show so people come to know that they can come and find my work here."
For other vendors the experience the festival creates compares to no other, as Carlyle is known to host events that tend to ooze with a homely ambiance and genuine support. Author, Marie Calder is one such vendor who has this belief. She had on display her entire line of novels from the "Otherside" series including her latest book the "The Otherside of Commitment." Calder said she has been attending since 2010 and it is one of her favourite annual experiences.
"I love the atmosphere here in Carlyle, I enjoy Carlyle at any time but I find that there is so much positive energy within the community and it all seems to come together at Dickens. They are so caring here, for example they brought food for us because we're here from 10 a.m. in the morning to late at night. And when you do go to other events you're there on your own," she said.
"Dickens has been, from the beginning until now, exuberant, positive, energetic and really just joyful."
Both days provided a memorable experience not only for vendors but also for the patrons who perused the stalls at each market. The festival has become an event that now resonates with many people in Saskatchewan and the market along Main Street is where many people have their first taste of Carlyle. It is a taste that's crafted by the culmination of Saskatchewan people and is a true representation of the province's culture.
