With holiday shopping in full gear, some Edmontonians are skipping the wrapping paper in favour of a gift more memorable. Awn Kitchen has been running cooking classes for 10 years and says they haven’t been able to keep up demand, a “good problem to have.” The culinary school has seen an uptick in bookings over the past few weeks. Many people in society are craving to feel connected, said Awn Kitchen owner Kaelin Whitaker. A new survey by JLL shows shoppers plan on spending nearly $1,500 during the holiday season. Experiences now account for 39 per cent of holiday budgets – up 17 per cent from last year on things like going out, entertainment and activities. “People come together, they’re disconnected from the outside world but they’re connected with new people in this space,” she said. The cooking school offers dozens of options for people to choose from. You can learn to cook a dish from a region like Mexico, Palestine, Italy, India and others. It also offers pastry and baking classes. “I feel grateful every single day to do what I do and it’s bringing people together around a table and around food, because food is connection” said Whitaker. Zocalo has also had success running plant arrangement classes. “People really like them, they like to get out and get their hands in the dirt and do something different, see some colour and some greens and interact, ” said Miranda Ringma, co-owner of Zocalo. The people that sign up for classes are often a group of co-workers, friends and families. “It’s not Netflix, it’s getting out there and doing something, it’s not a massive commitment like a seven week course, it’s an hour or two,” Ringma added. Supporting local For a second year, the City of Edmonton is running its Shop Local campaign to encourage economic growth. At the bottom of the website is a list of discounts and deals being offered by more than 170 local businesses around the city. “Local businesses are the heart of our community, they make our main streets vibrant, they’re our neighbours, they give us a reason to go out and do things,” said Nolan Carter, senior economic strategist with the City of Edmonton. Iconic spots like 124 Street, Whyte Avenue and 104 Street wouldn’t exist as they are today without local businesses, Carter added. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Sasha Pietramala
