14 Years and Counting for HGA

Posted on November 22nd, 2009 by HGA Admin

Fruitcake, Boxing Day gatherings, “Deck the Halls ...” and Home-Grown Alternatives (HGA) are all synonymous with Christmas in Bermuda. If HGA had a birthday cake this year, it would be sporting fourteen candles! That’s saying a mouthful for an event which was originally only planned for November 1995!

This year’s Shopping Extravaganza is slated for Saturday, December 12th, 2009 at St. Paul’s Christian Education Centre in Paget. from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. HGA has a remarkable group of Bermuda’s best artists and craftspeople including the decorating team led by Mary Tatem which is constantly challenged with new approaches to decorating the hall with everyday materials. Once again, we will have new vendors for 2009!

The reality is that Christine Wellman and Mary Tatem work with a planning committee to organize an annual event that customers and artisans alike anticipate every December. ”Even if we wanted to take a break, artists meet us and start suggesting about December and customers start asking ... ” say Wellman and Tatem.

HGA has always been held indoors to facilitate the creation of a Christmas ambiance. Live entertainment from some of Bermuda’s premier musicians has been an enriching addition to the event since 1997. What makes HGA different? The fact that artists/craftspeople organize HGA annually for artists/craftspeople. The focus has always been on creating a quality pre-Christmas shopping opportuniy for the public to secure items embellished or created by hand in Bermuda.