02/25/2025
Usually at this time of year we are happily confirming the date of our next show. Sadly, this year the Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites has declined to book our show. They left us hanging for so long that we have been unable to find another venue. Every venue that might have been able to accommodate our show is booked solid. Because of this, we are forced to announce that this year's show is cancelled. The cats will lose out on a $25,000 fundraising event.
We sincerely hope that all of our loyal repeat creators are able to find alternative shows for the first Sunday in December. We are continuing the hunt for a new venue in 2026.
Edit: thank you to everyone who has made suggestions for trying to save the show for this year. Please believe that we have tried everything humanly possible to find an appropriate venue. We have looked at and contacted over 50 different spaces in the past 2 weeks, as well as searching online and rejecting another 100 or so because they were too small, or had no parking, or were too remote, or were in a basement, or were in some way inaccessible. If there is a venue big enough for 70 vendors (8’ tables), our bake sale, and our silent auction, that is licensed to hold over 400 people at a time, and has parking for 300 plus vehicles we are pretty sure that we’ve checked it out.
Some are suggesting that we hold a smaller show at a smaller venue. The problem with that, is that smaller shows cost as much to run as larger ones, and there are fewer table revenues to help cover the cost. With a smaller show by the time you pay for the venue, equipment, advertising, posters, signage, and other incidentals, you have eaten up most of the profit, leaving a very small amount for the cats. The return from a small show does not justify the work and expense that goes into it.
