A popular event is returning to Oro-Medonte this weekend.
The fourth annual Rugby Country Store and Marketplace is happening at the Rugby Community Hall on Old Barrie Road at the 12th Concession of Oro-Medonte this Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will feature seasonal and home decor, candles, pottery, quilting, stained glass, vintage items, and more.
Ellenor Dixon, one of the members of the board of directors of the Rugby Community Hall, says more than 25 vendors will be at the event.
"It's not like going to a crafts show," she said. "It's set up in a very nice way and it's very shopper-friendly."
Shoppers browse through the hall which is set up like one big retail store during the event. Dixon says the wide variety of products has made the annual event a success over the years.
"It's a unique shopping experience," she said. "We keep having it because people keep coming back with great things to say about it."
Dixon says most vendors from last year are returning and there are some new ones, too.
"It's not often that somebody does not come back," she said. "It tells us that they all do pretty well."
Each vendor earns 100 percent of their sales from the event, but each pays for their spot which raises money for the Rugby Community Hall. If all vendors show up and pay their fees, the event should raise $2,000, Dixon said.
"The hall has been owned by the community since 1966, so we have property taxes, insurance, hydro, and snow plowing in the winter," Dixon explained. "All of the expenses are paid for by the community."
Anyone can rent the community hall for birthdays, anniversaries, or family reunions. It is equipped with a full kitchen and it's self-contained, she noted.
"It's up to the community to keep up with upkeep," Dixon said. "It takes a large amount of funds."
Dixon says shopping at the event this weekend will support local artisans and this "important community hub" for Oro-Medonte.
