Inuvik (Nov 17/06) - The annual craft fair begins tomorrow night and if past years' sales are anything to go by, the goods will go fast.

The Great Northern Arts Festival hosts the fair at Sir Alexander Mackenzie school, and it's held every November.

Linda Eccles is the co-ordinator for this year's event. She said she is in the process of finalizing travel accommodations.

"I want to make sure the artists have a way to get here and back home," she said. "I am also arranging some billeting."

Artists from Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik and even as far away as Yellowknife and Fort Smith have confirmed their tables. In all, there will be more than 70 displays.

"Last year we only had about 50 tables, which was a lot," said Eccles. "This year is going to be great."

Planning for the event started a few months ago, with phone calls to the communities.

"At first, we had to find out how many people were attending," said Eccles.

Traditional wear, such as parkas, slippers, jewelry and other items can be found at the annual sale.

Liz Drescher, one of the returning artists, has come to be known simply as "the mitt lady."

She said mitts and gloves are her bestsellers, although she creates other fur items as well.

"I've been getting creative with my work," said Drescher. "I use different furs, and change the colours and style of the mitts."

Drescher said that she has taken part in the past five sales, and has been known to take special orders.

"I used to take a lot of orders, but now I am limiting them," she said.

"All the orders I had started to interfere with my family's wear and needs."

Don't worry though, Drescher said she plans on bringing a fair amount of goods to this year's gathering.

"I started making mitts a while ago, to get ready for the sale this year," she said.

For Drescher, the sale is not only a good place to sell her wares, but a place to meet with friends and share techniques.

"The fair is always a good time, with a lot of people to keep you company," said Drescher.

If you get the munchies while exploring the craft fair, there are often homemade snacks for sale as well.