#BuyBasin: There's no better time to shop local

Lisa Monforton

Posted: Tue. Mar. 16, 2021

The #BuyBasin Festival was the perfect chance to get to know dozens of creators, entrepreneurs and change-makers all over the Columbia Basin. And B.C.’s newest festival was done completely LIVE on Facebook. There was also a great lineup of local musicians along the way.

What did you miss? A sneak peek at Columbia Basin businesses, artists, and performers who all broadcast LIVE on Facebook with expert tips, giveaways, demos, music, behind-the-scenes fun, and more through April. The audience got a glimpse into the livelihoods and passions and a chance to ask questions, and score some great #BuyBasin retail fun. It allowed the audience to experience and learn about cool products and services in their own backyard from the comfort of their own home.

Catch up on all the Facebook Lives you've missed

But you haven't completely missed all the fun. You still have a chance at our giveaway. All you have to do is share a video from a #BuyBasin Festival business on Facebook and you could win $100 towards a Basin-area business of your choice, or a $50 gift certificate to the Shred Kelly online store. Click here to check out some of the videos from Basin-area business to start sharing now. Every video you share is another chance to win. Four winners will be drawn on May 3.

Alison Bjorkman, program manager for the Basin Business Advisors, a sponsor of the festival, says the broadcasts came at the perfect time. “I think we’re coming back into an upswing of optimism. It’s a way for people to see outside their bubbles and see what’s in the region.”

Bjorkman says some businesses in the Basin region have been struggling, while others have adapted and grown during the pandemic. The festival was a way businesses can use Facebook Lives to reach customers and find novel ways to generate business. “It can create some interesting cross-promotion, collaboration, optimism and excitement. It’ll be fun.”

The Facebook Live #BuyBasin broadcasts also featured an excellent lineup of musical entertainment from the Columbia Basin. Shred Kelly's Sage McBride was one of them. But not only did she provide entertainment throughout the festival, she also helped coach business owners to make the most of their online broadcasts. She showed them how to create engaging live videos and shared tips and tricks on how to grow their social media following and get engagement.

“Now more than ever it is incredibly important to keep small businesses in the Columbia Basin not only afloat, but thriving. I'm hoping that this shift to support local businesses during the pandemic will have a long-lasting effect of shifting the way people shop and encouraging them not to purchase from Amazon, but to support local companies whenever they can.”

Here's a sneak peek at some of the people you'll meet

Stoke the Fire Hot Sauce in Revelstoke are specialists of spicy.

Stoke the Fire Hot Sauce - Revelstoke

Sarah and Stu of this successful Revelstoke business entertained the audience revealing how they grow the peppers and other home-grown goodies that go into their hot sauce lineup.

Check out their Facebook Live here.

Mama's Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food.

Mama's Dumplings - Cranbrook

Who doesn't love a delicious dumpling? Mama's Dumplings showed us the secrets of how they craft their super popular Northern Chinese-style dumplings so you can make and enjoy them at home. They also revealed all the places you can buy their dumplings.

Check out the secrets to making their perfectly easy and scrumptious treats here on their Facebook Live broadcast.

You'll find lots of cool items made in the Kootenays at Moonrise Boutique in Castlegar.

Moonrise Boutique - Castlegar

This small boutique in Castlegar is the place to find hand-crafted items made in the Kootenays. Take a tour of their store and find out all the cool things they sell, like vintage items, jewellry, kids clothes and more.

Learn more by watching their Facebook Live broadcast.