Adam of Kirkatures. /ANNE HAWE
Maybe you’ve had too many hand bills thrust at you for shows you may never see or you’ve seen the same outdoor acts two or three times. If you’re feeling ‘Fringed out’, why not check out the Fringe Marketplace? It may not be Portobello Road, but it has some unique offerings.
Come on, admit it – you’ve always wanted to have your caricature drawn. Adam Kirk of Kirkatures, he of the wizard robe and light sabre, is the person to do it. He studied animation for four years and his skills are much in demand for birthdays, work functions, and special occasions. It’ll cost you $20 for just one face and $10 for each extra face. If you’ve ever needed an avatar for an online column or a game…
Aruna learned how to do henna tattoos as a child in India. Her store is called Mehindi Henna Tattoos and she’s been with the Winnipeg Fringe since the very first festival. She says the designs that cover a good part of the hand in delicate flowers and other intricate designs are the most popular. A partial hand design will run around $25 to $30 and take about ten minutes to complete.
Aruna of Mehindi Henna Tattoos. /ANNE HAWE
Kristina Kauss of ZSJ Silks.
/ANNE HAWE
Just before exiting the Marketplace, I came up on ZSJ Silks. Kristina Kauss sources her high quality Habotai silk at silk markets in Thailand and South Korea. She uses high-quality Procion dyes to create her colourful and colourfast designs.
Sharing her stall is surely the world’s youngest chainmail artist. Quinn Mudry is only fifteen years old and has been making chainmail jewelry for three years now.
“At ten, he asked me if he could make a suit of armour. I let him try when he was 12,” said his mother, Kim. “He always had a huge interest in medieval history.”
Quinn Mudry. /ANNE HAWE
The chainmail piece that he’s modelling was made by him and his brother. Between the two of them working eight hours a day, it took them about a month to finish. It’s made up of 12,000 aluminum rings and weighs in at about eight pounds. Its price tag is $750 if it’s still available. If not, Quinn can probably make you a similar one.
There are many more vendors – even a teeny bookstore – but this was just a whirlwind tour.
After all that shopping, why not grab a bite from one of the nearby food trucks and then go see a play? Any shows with a yellow background on the list of shows at the Info Tent are only $5 – that’s it, only a fiver!
