2nd Annual Christmas - in the Sawmill

Kelli McRobert | Oct 26, 2022

This weekend it was a short drive to 6037 Verona Street for the 2nd annual ‘Christmas’ in the Sawmill event. It was hard to imagine during the sunny warm day, that Christmas would be upon us in a mere 2 months. That’s only 8 weeks, wow, this year has gone way too quick and it seems I missed summer somehow? As I parked along the street, the crowds were casually strolling to and from the venue. There were Families with children in tow and couples looking to take advantage of the bright fall afternoon. We were all chatting as we approached the large Victorian home that towered over us as we crunched along the gravel driveway.

Once we made the short walk from the roadway, we could see the mill to our left. A long building covered in steel, with a dark and welcoming entranceway that led you into the Artisan gallery. Each wall was adorned with creative bits and pieces ranging from hand crafted wood signs by Shelley King (www.artisticfocusbyshelley.com) to turned bowls by James K. of Valley Woodware (613-453-7940). On my right, were some beautiful bowls and pottery that made me think of cool days bundled up beside a fire, sipping a warm broth or savouring that first warm cup of cocoa after ice skating on a pond. Other vendors had beautiful metal works of art that gain my attention, every time I see them, creative, rustic and a hint of ‘steam punk’ added to the mix. Some of my favourite pieces, for sure.

A little further into the large solid rustic building, were Carolyn’s Creations (613-379-5971) where she takes recycled copper and turns them into elegant pieces of jewellery. Quilting, crafts, decorations, drawings, paintings, and bees wax products were all on hand for the keen shoppers to touch, try, and purchase throughout the day.

Outside there was a courtyard café where coffee and snacks were being served by a lovely mother/daughter duo, Ali and Krista Williams who relocated to this location 10 years ago, hailing originally from St Catharines. When chatting with Ali (the mom), she recounts her tale of how she came up with the idea of a mobile coffee company. She stated, “all paths seemed to point in the same direction…no matter what I was doing, it all seemed to guide me towards, food, drink, people, and a passion for sustainability”. Once she completed her formal education (culinary school), moved, and left a job she excelled at (Manager of Starbucks), she believed that each life experience was a ‘winding road’ leading to her next adventure, hence the name Winding Road Coffee. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The mobile coffee company plans to continue with a ‘soft opening’ until the new year where they look forward to working with the Haymakers Coffee Company that “is a small-batch coffee roaster of single origin, microlot coffee on Wolfe Island.” The family run roastery “can trace the beans directly back to the farms and mills where they are produced and the farmers are paid quality premiums that reflect the herculean efforts required to produce them.” https://haymakerscoffeeco.com/pages/our-story Stay tuned for more updates on where and when you can find Winding Road as their journey continues.

As the afternoon sun began to fade, so too did the last of the shoppers as they left with arms full of interesting pieces that will soon be gifted or placed in a special spot in their homes. Thanks to all the vendors that took the time to share their FAB creations and for the host ‘Art in the Sawmill’ for such a lovely indoor space! If you are interested in participating in the next event you can email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.