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FAQ'S
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2024 + 2025 Market Dates + Application Deadlines2024 MARKET DATES Spring Market - Winnipeg: April 19-21 Slice of Summer Pop Up - Winnipeg: July 4 Clear Lake Market - Wasagaming, MB: Aug 3 + 4 Christmas Market - Saskatoon: Nov 2+3 Christmas Market - Winnipeg: Nov 22-24 Snow Place Winter Pop Ups - Dec 13+14 APPLICATIONS DATES: 2024 Spring Market - Winnipeg: Jan 8-20, 2024 2024 Slice of Summer Pop Up - Winnipeg: April 1-8, 2024 2024 Clear Lake Market - Wasagaming, MB: March 11-18, 2024 2024 Christmas Market - Saskatoon: May 8-20, 2024 2024 Christmas Market - Winnipeg: May 4-20, 2024 2024 Snow Place Winter Pop Ups - Oct 2-16, 2024 2025 MARKET DATES Spring Market - Winnipeg: April 11-13 Slice of Summer Pop Up - Winnipeg: July 3 Clear Lake Market - Wasagaming, MB: Aug 2+3 Christmas Market - Saskatoon: Nov 8+9 Christmas Market - Winnipeg: Nov 21-23 Snow Place Winter Pop Ups - Dec 12+3 APPLICATIONS DATES: 2025 Spring Market - Winnipeg: Jan 6-19, 2025 2025 Slice of Summer Pop Up - Winnipeg: April 14-21, 2025 2025 Clear Lake Market - Wasagaming, MB: March 10-17, 2025 2025 Christmas Market - Saskatoon: May 2-16, 2025 2025 Christmas Market - Winnipeg: May 2-16, 2025 2025 Snow Place Winter Pop Ups - Sept 2025 *Please note that our Clear Lake Market is an extremely popular 'applied for show' and the venue can only hold 35 vendors. *Snow Place Winter pop up is held at Van der Meer Garden Centre *Slice of Summer pop up is held at the St. Norbert Farmers' Market location *Saskatoon Christmas Market is held at Delta Saskatoon Downtown *Winnipeg Christmas Market is held at Red River Exhibition Park
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How do I apply for a Third+Bird market?Applications are completed through our website. You will be required to fill out an online application form + upload 6 photos (in square format + under 15 MB each) that best represent your products + brand. To find out when the next application will be posted, please sign up for our newsletter. That is your MOST effective way of never missing a notification. Be sure to mark us in your inbox so we don’t go to you junk or spam. In addition, follow us on Instagram + Facebook @thirdandbird
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Do you accept applications from outside provinces?As of April 1st, 2022 we are now opening up our applications to out of province. Our Spring market 2022 application was for MB vendors only. Moving forward, we are excited to welcome back our out of province vendors. It's been a long year and we are excited to welcome you back.
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What can I expect at a Third+Bird market?Third + Bird markets give spotlight to small businesses who are pushing the independent makers industry through modern design, fresh ideas + creative branding. We strive for personal connection with those we serve + work with – because vendors and their product matter to us, and we believe they matter to you. We pride ourselves on creating a unique shopping experience filled with inspiring visuals, food + drink, live music + infectious energy! Our urban markets have gained national exposure, with requests to host Third + Bird across western Canada and share our platform with motivated vendors and shoppers alike. In 2018, we were honoured to be nominated and rewarded with the Manitoba Tourism Innovation Award. We were recognized for our creativity and innovation in the tourism industry, developing new product and offerings for Manitoba’s tourism market. In 2019 we were honoured to be nominated and rewarded the Winnipeg Tourism Award of Distinction for Small Business of the Year. Executives from Co-op, Safeway, and Sobeys have flown in to sign many of our food vendors and consumers can now shop their products in stores across Canada. Social influencers and celebrities such as Jillian Harris and Michele Romanow have given Third + Bird and our vendors spotlight on their social accounts. Since being a part of Third + Bird, many vendors have been able to open their own storefronts and have been given unique opportunities to grow their businesses. We produce all of our markets with the health and safety of our community as our first priority. We follow all local and provincial rules and recommendations that are laid out for retail. In 2020 we spent months creating a new shopping experience for the safety of everyone. We created timed shopping blocks and rolled it out in Fall 2020. With such great feedback from both shoppers and vendors regarding the shopping blocks, we've continued to use this structure for our markets, now issuing check-in times so that shoppers can stroll the market without a 2hr shopping limit.
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What can I expect on social media as a vendor?As per the contract, vendors are asked to do a minimum of 2 posts (story or feed) informing their followers that they will be at the Third+Bird market or pop-up. In turn, vendors can expect to see social media post (batched or singular) and photos with links to their social and website on our website. In addition we love to re-share your content and will often share videos and posts showing shoppers what you are up to. Each vendor will be posted about on our Instagram + Facebook accounts, but we reserve the right to batch vendors with other vendors. There is NO preference on who gets batched vs who doesn’t, nor a preference on who is batched together. Due to the volume of markets + pop ups we host, in order to post about everyone we do need to batch photos along with individual posts. Our team also reserves the right to use photos that were submitted in the application or photos found on your social media. Permission will be asked to use social media photos. Many markets across the globe charge to be featured on thier social media, website and newsletters. We do not charge to highlight or feature vendors.
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What's included in the cost of a booth?Your cost includes your booth square footage, mass marketing of the show, a post of your company on all of our social media outlets, over 75,000 followers + counting, a listing on our vendor webpage. By taking part in our markets, you become part of the Third + Bird family. This is a special bond and there is a plethora of makers who are eager to connect and support one another! Please refer to each market page and booth sizes and fees are posted in specific reference to each show and venue. We DO NOT provide tables or chairs. Creativity is encouraged in creating an engaging space for shoppers to interact with your product. Please visit us on Pinterest to find booth inspiration from our Third + Bird family.
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Can I sell a product I don't make myself?We do not accept 3rd party vendors such as Epicure, Tupperware, Norwex, etc. This includes vintage wares or up-cycled goods for sale. We do make an exception for the fast fashion movement + will consider applications where the maker is up-cycling fabric, clothing + using it to create new pieces. Pieces must be altered + fully re-designed by you. This requires more than just adding a button or small detail. Vendor involvement in the design process is crucial and mandatory. While outsourcing components world wide is common, we require a vendor to contribute to the design and/or assembly of the product. This collaborative approach allows businesses to leverage design creativity and production efficiency effectively.
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I have a concern with one of your vendors. What should I do?If you have a concern with a fellow maker in the community please do not email us first to investigate your concern for you. Please take the following steps before involving Third + Bird. - Reach out to the maker and express your concern. - Gather truthful facts to build your case with concern (assumptions and ‘looks like this’ are not facts) - After having a conversation with the maker, and if you still feel like there are valid concerns with the proven facts you have gathered, we then will step in and investigate further. - We want to make it very clear, we are not undercover cops. We create an application platform that is fair and gives makers plenty of opportunity to be transparent and honest with us. If a maker chooses to withhold information or bend truth at the time of jurying that is on them and we will take proper measures and further investigate them when brought to our attention through the above steps.
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How can I make sure my application stands out from the rest?Your application is your first impression! The 6 photos you choose to submit on your application should be high quality + highlight your products, packaging, overall brand + appeal. Showcase all the details our shoppers might look for when attracted to a new company. Think of these photos as a well-curated Instagram feed quality, and not just photos of your entire collection of product. Please visit our Instagram page + see our feed, better yet click on makers accounts + get a good idea of what others are doing! Other things to keep in mind: - Am you posting and interacting with your followers on social media consistently or do you go weeks and months without posting ? - Is my social feed consistent or am I post pictures of my kids, and vacations in addition to my product? - Are you following us on social media? Engaging with us? - Do you offer something that is unique and different ... show us, let us know! * Please note we do NOT require you to have paid professional photoshoots. If you go that route do it because it's good for your brand, website and social media. Hiring someone to make your product shine is a great idea, however it's NOT a requirement from us. Cell phone cameras are amazing and can produce fantasic photos. There are lots of tips and ticks out there on how to stage great product shots! Our jury will also take your website + social media presence into consideration, so be sure to include those in your application. Having a well-curated social media account is a big plus!
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What if I am accepted and need to cancel?We understand that cancellations happen. Please review our cancellation deadlines when applying to a Spring or Christmas market. During the cancellation window you will receive a refund less a $50 or $75 admin fee. After the window closes there will be no refunds given. * If we need to cancel a market (example, we had to cancel the spring market 2020 due to COVID), we gave FULL refunds to all makers. * Pop-ups (summer and winter) and Clear Lake markets have different sets of cancellation rules that are laid out in the application / contracts.
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Do I need permits to participate?Vendors selling/serving food and/or drink will need to abide by Health + Safety standards for the province. Upon acceptance we will send vendors information on what permits they will require. Failure to apply and get proper permits in time will result in Health Inspector / LCGA shutting down your ability to sell and or sample/serve food.
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Can I join your waiting list?Waitlists are reserved for vendors who applied during our application period and have been juried. If you missed our application period you are not eligible to be added to our waitlist.
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How do I become involved as a sponsor?We love to work in sponsorship with companies big + small. If you have a creative idea, new product or a space you would like to create at our events, we want to hear it! In your email please include the following: - Who you are and what your company does - How you feel your company values line up with Third+Bird - What you want to collaborate on or sponsor. Let us know what you are offering and how you see it as a benefit to both parties. Email us at hello@thirdandbird.com + let’s talk.
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What are your current advertising prices?We would love to partner with you! Please enquire with hello@thirdandbird.com for current rates.
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Can I bring my stroller?Sorry, no strollers. We encourage wearing your baby! This is a policy that has been set in place for the past 15years + one that we have carefully consulted with professionals in law, fire + safety and human rights. We care deeply about the community as a whole + making our markets accessible + safe to the best of our abilities. The key to this policy, is that it expressly sets out an alternative for those with strollers (baby carriers) + provides an option for those with health concerns. We have adopted this policy for many important reasons. The main reason being fire safety + evacuation of guests. Stroller Policy Third + Bird Inc. (“Third + Bird”) wishes to ensure that all of its guests have the most enjoyable experience possible, while also taking steps to provide a safe experience for its guests. As a result, in an effort to reduce objects that may impede access to emergency exits, Third + Bird has adopted a limited stroller policy. As a result, Third + Bird will not allow strollers in its markets, except in limited circumstances. However, in order to assist those guests with young children, Third + Bird will make available: 1) a place in which guests may store their strollers; and 2) if requested, a baby carrier for use while attending the Third + Bird market. Third + Bird also understands that, for a variety of reasons, some guests may not be able use a baby carrier and need the assistance of a stroller. Should that be the case, we ask that guests contact us in advance of the market which they plan to attend, in order to discuss their particular needs. Third + Bird will endeavour to make necessary considerations, where it is able to do so without undue hardship. Please contact us at hello@thirdandbird.com ahead of time with your name and shopping block you are attending and we will be sure to make your time shopping the market as easy and pleasurable as possible.
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How do we give back?We have been partners with the Nepal Women’s Co-op for 14 years. We respect everyones right to donate to local + global charities. This is a passion project for us. This co-op is one of the main reasons why we started Third + Bird and we will continue to choose them for all our future markets as our charity of choice. These women do not have a voice, local or global media, tv, radio doing fundraisers or brining attention to them. We are their voice, we are their platform! Thank you for your passion + concern for your charities of choice, we thank you for respect with our right to choose who we donate our money to. Please see our giving back page for more details.
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Community + AcknowledgmentThird+Bird is a family. We are a special community with deep bonds + connection. The Third+Bird family is a safe and inclusive family, welcoming all folx from BIMPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ communities and celebrating diversity. All makers are welcome regardless of race, religion, colour, national origin or sex. We wish to acknowledge that our markets are gathered on Treaty 1 territory, traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, OjiCree, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation. There are a number of great resources to learn and be more informed. This is a great place to start: https://www.winnipegvitalsigns.org/vital-information/treaty-1/ https://www.treaty1.ca/treaty-no-1/
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