One-stop local holiday gift shop pops up in downtown Kitchener
Downtown Kitchener gets its own one-stop local gift shop for the holiday season.
The KWFamous Holiday Pop-Up Shoppe features work for sale from over 80 artists, makers and small businesses from Waterloo region.
Organizers with KWFamous said the goal is to ensure each sale would go directly back into the community to support local vendors.
"Every single one of my items is completely handmade and completely unique,” said Natasha Smolcic, the owner of Knotti Natti Crochet.
Smolcic is offering a wide selection of their work at the event.
“So know that somebody out there is going to purchase a hat or balaclava or a sweater for their loved ones and go to such a good loving home means so much to me,” Smolcic said. “It makes my heart so happy knowing that my stuff is going to good homes in the community."
The project is hosted at 165 King Street West and runs until Dec. 30.
The project is hosted at 165 King Street West and opened on Nov. 29 and runs until Dec. 30.
According to organizers, the idea for the pop-up shop stemmed from the financial hardships faced by many this year as inflation made the cost of living more expensive.
Shoppers are encouraged to give back during the holidays by purchasing holiday cards created by the Artshine Arts For All Program, or by bringing donations for the Working Centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | PM Trudeau presents premiers $196B health-care funding deal, including $46B in new funding
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.

Newborn, toddler saved from rubble in quake-hit Syrian town
Residents digging through a collapsed building in a northwest Syrian town discovered a crying infant whose mother appears to have given birth to her while buried underneath the rubble from this week's devastating earthquake, relatives and a doctor said Tuesday.
BREAKING | B.C. to make National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a paid statutory holiday
The British Columbia government has introduced legislation to make Sept. 30 a paid statutory holiday marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Canadians now expect to need $1.7M in order to retire: BMO survey
Canadians now believe they need $1.7 million in savings in order to retire, a 20 per cent increase from 2020, according to a new BMO survey. The eye-watering figure is the largest sum since BMO first started surveying Canadians about their retirement expectations 13 years ago.
U.S. actor facing sex charges in Nevada also facing charge in B.C.
A former actor in the movie 'Dances With Wolves' who is facing eight sex-related charges in Nevada is also facing a charge in British Columbia.
Germany, Denmark, Netherlands pledge Ukraine Leopard 1 tanks
Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands announced Tuesday that they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 battle tanks, a pledge that comes as Kyiv anticipates a new Russian offensive around the anniversary of its invasion.
Dog named Kujo likely to 'kill or injure,' B.C. court rules in euthanasia decision
A dog named Kujo will be euthanized after a B.C. judge determined the animal is "likely to kill or injure" if released from the pound.
Big tech job cuts keep coming; Zoom latest to trim headcount
Zoom is cutting about 1,300 jobs, or approximately 15% of its workforce. CEO Eric Yuan said in a blog post Tuesday that the company ramped up staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic, when businesses became increasingly reliant on its service as people worked from home. Yuan said Zoom grew three times in size within 24 months to manage demand.
Quake deaths pass 6,200 as Turkiye, Syria seek survivors
Search teams and emergency aid from around the world poured into Turkiye and Syria on Tuesday as rescuers working in freezing temperatures dug, sometimes with their bare hands, through the remains of buildings flattened by a powerful earthquake. The death toll soared above 6,200 and was still expected to rise.