With a number of Christmas craft sales being hosted this weekend, residents of southeastern Manitoba had a great opportunity to get a jump on Christmas shopping.

People flocked to the Clearspring Centre in Steinbach, The Friedensfeld Hall, the Heartland Church in Landmark, and the Niverville Heritage Centre, all of which were transformed into Christmas themed markets.

There were products galore from locally produced crafts to home decor, clothing, books, candles, and sweet treats.

Executive Director of the Niverville Chamber of Commerce and market organizer Dawn Harris talked about the particular timing of why this may have been a special weekend for Craft Sales:

"I think it's not a bad weekend because you're not too close to Christmas, and you can't really go any earlier without losing that Holiday feeling."