A new retail outlet arrived on Opeongo Line in Barry’s Bay this month – just in time to help with your Christmas shopping. In what Sigrid Geddes and Amber Flokstra Radema refer to as a “creative collision” the two women decided to combine their mutual need for a high street location with a seasonal pop-up retail outlet called Bluebird Collective. The shop offers a selection of curated products from more than 15 Valley artists and makers, and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 19582 Opeongo Line (the site of the former Bay Café, Grove on Main, and more recently naturopathic practice of Dr. Terry Vanderheyden).
The Bluebird Collective also offers a public performance space where Geddes and Flokstra Radema have planned a special pre-Christmas event on Saturday, Dec.18th. South African story-teller Jacqui Du Toit will give a special live performance suitable for all ages that afternoon. Geddes will lead a community Christmas carolling session after the storytime ends.
Flokstra Radema’s clothing business, Marigolds Vintage, in Killaloe and Geddes’ well-known natural skincare line, Sigrids Naturals, both enjoy significant loyal customer bases, so using their retail skills on behalf of local artisans is a win/win for producers and shoppers alike. Geddes in particular is delighted with the new space, as it means that she can at last move the production of her unique creams, salves and cosmetics out of her Wilno home where she has combined working and living for the past seventeen years.
Bluebird Collective offers shopping right up to Christmas Eve when the store will close at 4 p.m. After a winter break, shoppers can watch for a re-opening in the spring. For more details, see Bluebird Collective on Facebook.
