Prince George, B.C.- It has become a fall tradition in Prince George,  a collection of  wares  by  members of local  guilds, and  artisans from across the province and the country  and it  starts tomorrow.

Studio Fair,  is celebrating its 39th year,  and will  be open to the public tomorrow, through the weekend at the Civic Centre.  “We will have  more than 90  artisans  in addition to  the Prince George Guild members,  we are maxed out” says Studio Fair Project Co-Ordinator  Lisa Redpath.

“The members of the  guilds in Prince George,   the Potters Guild, Quilters Guild,  Wood Turners Guild, Fibre Arts the Artists Workshop and Artist Co-Op will be front and centre during Studio  Fair” says  Redpath.

Studio Fair  is a juried show,  which means  artisans have to  send in an application, and their products are  viewed for quality  and professionalism  their display, before being approved to take part in the annual  show.  “Our reputation is pretty golden with the artisans” says Redpath, “Our  waiting list to get into Studio fair is a mile long,  the applications when they come in  at the beginning of the year,  we are just flooded.”

Redpath says each year,  the Community Arts Council  takes note of  what is trending, and what  show goers would like to see, and the message has been  food. “As people know, food is art” says Redpath,  “Over the past few years, we’ve  tried to bring in more of that type of product” so this year, Studio Fair welcomes, among others,  Rootables Chips out  of Squamish B.C.  which makes  chips out of a variety of vegetables and  the  Maple Sugar Shack from Whistler  “They’ll have shaved ice at their booth and will pour the  hot syrup on the ice to make  taffy.”

Redpath says some of the artisans  have been featured on  the  program “Dragon’s Den” where entrepreneurs  make a pitch in hopes of garnering  financial support to  grow their business  “They are small business  people by nature, they  go more on the creative side of business opportunity.”

The annual fair is “run on community and volunteer energy” says Redpath “It really takes all hands on deck to bring a show of this  size and quality  off the ground.  All money generated goes directly into Community Arts Council programming.”

Because of some changes in the main lobby of the Civic Centre,  some  artisans  will  be featured on the second floor.  To make sure  you  visit them,  there is a special door prize for second floor  visitors,  but  the details and the  draw box will only be on the second floor. There  is a door prize for the  main event as well, as  a painting  created on site over the weekend will be given away.