The 2018 Chengdu Holiday Bazaar took place this weekend on Saturday 24th November, at CDIS ’s new campus in the heart of the city. The sun was shining and almost 1800 people came out, to see the wonderful performances, and buy festive treats from the vendors selling great food, gifts, and handicrafts.
This was all to raise money for four carefully chosen local causes; Hope Station, Hopeful Hearts, Chengdu Aixin Social Service Centre and IDEAS, who were all in attendance. The total amount raised will be announced at a giving ceremony on 10th December, when all the donations have been received.
We had a full day’s schedule of performances on the stage including from QSI, Léman International School, CDES, CDIS, a traditional pipa performance and fantastic solo artists.
A big shoutout goes to the consuls of Austria, Singapore, Switzerland, Israel, New Zealand, Poland, Korea, and the United States. In support of the community and a spirit of fun, they took it upon themselves to get up on stage for a blind taste test of beers representing each of their countries.
At the Silent Auction, as usual, the last half hour was fast and furious as bidders scrambled to get in their bids for coveted items generously donated from a wide variety of sponsors. We had hotel vouchers, wines from around the world, gift baskets, F&B vouchers, works of art, and more. This year’s auction raised more money than any of the previous years’, so a big thank you to everyone who took part.
The littlest members of the Chengdu scene were not to be left out of the day’s festivities. Student teams from GreatChina International Education, and representatives from Five Star Sports and ADI Sports kept the kids’ games areas hopping all day long. Smiles were all around as kids of all ages did their best to win at each of the games to collect fun prizes. They also got to take photos with Chengdu Animal Rescue’s Kitten and puppy photobooth.
And of course, none of this would have been possible without the help of our tireless volunteers who spent hours of their free time on a Saturday keeping things going smoothly. From helping with setup and tear-down, directing traffic, selling tickets, answering questions, and just about anything else you can think of, our volunteers were great examples of community-mindedness and holiday spirit.
Lastly a big thank you to the sponsors who donated services, funds, staff, sound and stage equipment, goods for the silent auction and more – without you, the Bazaar wouldn’t have been possible.
Photos from the 2018 Holiday Bazaar
