Yellowknife (July 19/06) - A laid back atmosphere and 4,000 potential customers kept some local businesses hoping on what was one of their busiest weekends of the year.

More than 20 home-based businesses and vendors flocked to Long Lake to set up booths and sell their wares during this year's Folk on the Rocks festival.

Aviva Forget-Manson, left, and Gisele Forget, owner of EARTHen Enterprises, display some of the eclectic items they were selling during the Folk on the Rocks festival. More than 20 vendors set up booths during the two-day event. - David Ryan/NNSL photo

For EARTHen Enterprises owner, Gisele Forget, the festival offers a number of purposes.

She's able to sell eclectic items like suncatchers, costumes and chimes, but more importantly it's also a time to promote her business.

"My main goal is to get the word out," she said.

"People who know me expect me to be here."

Forget has had a booth at the festival for the last 10 years. She has seen musicians buy her costumes and wear them on stage. That's the type of marketing you couldn't get anywhere else, she said.

"You don't have to be uptight. People come and try things on," she said.

"It really helps to promote my business."

One booth that attracted attention was Erik Kerslake's casual wear from Southeast Asia.

Kerslake, currently spends half of the year in Thailand, but is in the process of moving back to Yellowknife.

He purchases clothing as well as a number of other products from Indonesia, India and northern Thailand.

In the next few months, Kerslake will be focusing on the North to do business.

"There isn't that much variety in Yellowknife," he said.

By attending events like Folk on the Rocks, Kerslake hopes promote his products throughout the North.

"The festival is a good way to network. It is a fun thing to do, a good way to make money," he said.

"Every year we do better."