Buy Local Creston

12/26/2025

And the winner is... Maria Fries!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate someone special in our community. The stories you shared reminded us just how many generous, hardworking people call the Creston Valley home. Our independent third party has selected Maria Fries as the winner of our $650+ local gift basket, and when you hear why, you will understand.

Since moving to the Creston Valley a couple of years ago, Maria has poured herself into our community. She volunteers weekly for the ARES school breakfast program, monthly for hot lunch, and is always there for school events and fundraisers as the PAC treasurer. She joined the Creston Fall Fair committee and has spent countless hours on grant proposals, stakeholder meetings, setup, tear-down, and even building the Gingerbread-themed float for this year's Christmas Parade.

When the Christmas Hamper program was in jeopardy this year, Maria volunteered to help pack and distribute hampers through power outages and rain to distribute nearly 500 hampers to families in need. She and her husband also quietly provided a travel trailer, fitted with a wood stove, for someone who required a safe place to live this winter.

Maria works behind the scenes, never seeking recognition, just making good things happen. We are thrilled to shine a light on her this Christmas.

A huge thank you to our partner Avani HVAC & Plumbing for making this giveaway possible, and to all the incredible local businesses who contributed to this basket:
Good Company Coffee
Bindoya Meats and Treats
Tilia Botanicals
Mawson Sports
Modern Alchemy
Lark Coffee Roasters
V.R. Sudz n' Stuff Bath & Body Shop
Summer Moon
Summit Cycles and Sports
The Golden Flour Bakery
Creston Valley Arts Council
Pridham Studio
Wild North Brewing Co.

From all of us at Buy Local Creston Valley, Merry Christmas and thank you for shopping local.

12/20/2025

The gift basket just got bigger!

Cassie from Avani HVAC & Plumbing and I hit the shops yesterday to put together our local giveaway basket, and with so many incredible local businesses and artisans in the Creston Valley, we just couldn't stop. What started as a $500 basket has grown to over $650 worth of local goodness!

There's still time to nominate someone special. Know someone who's gone above and beyond this year?

Head to the Avani HVAC & Plumbing page to:
- Like & Follow Avani HVAC on Facebook
- Share their post
- Tell us why your nominee deserves to win

Prefer to keep it private? Email your nomination to [email protected]
Competition closes December 22nd at 11:59pm PST. Winner announced December 23rd.

A special thanks to all the businesses we shopped at yesterday:
Good Company Coffee
Tilia Botanicals
Mawson Sports
Modern Alchemy
Lark Coffee Roasters
V.R. Sudz n' Stuff Bath & Body Shop
Summer Moon
Summit Cycles and Sports
The Golden Flour Bakery
Creston Valley Arts Council
Pridham Studio
Wild North Brewing Co.

12/15/2025

This holiday season, we have teamed up with our friends at Avani HVAC & Plumbing to celebrate the holiday season with a local giveaway. One lucky nominee will receive a gift basket filled with local goods from across our wonderful Creston businesses, valued at $500.

If you know someone who has gone above and beyond personally, professionally or for the community, nominate them by heading to the Avani HVAC & Plumbing page and do the following:

1. Like and Follow Avani HVAC & Plumbing on Facebook
2. Share their post
3. Nominate someone in the comments and tell us why they deserve to win. If you prefer to keep it private, email [email protected]

This is a great opportunity to recognize someone in our community who could use a little extra recognition and cheer this Christmas.

Competition closes December 22nd, 2025 at 11:59pm PST. Entries accepted via Facebook comments or email to [email protected]. Draw will take place December 23rd, 2025. Winner will be selected by a trusted, independent local third party. The prize consists of a gift basket containing locally sourced products to the value of $500. The winner will be contacted via Facebook or email. Open to residents of the Creston Valley and Kootenay Lake region.

Avani HVAC & Plumbing are a local, family-owned company, servicing Creston Valley and Kootenay Lake, as well as the wider Kootenay region with HVAC, Air Conditioning, Heating and Cooling needs. For more information about Avani HVAC and Plumbing book a service or learn more, visit us at https://avanihvac.ca or call 250-254-0324.

For more about Buy Local Creston Valley & Kootenay Lake, visit them at buylocalcreston.ca.

11/29/2025

Light Up Creston has started!

Remember to drop your receipts from tonights purchases to us at the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce booth in Spirit Square to enter Buy Local Giveaway!

11/28/2025

Tonight is the night - Shop local and win!

During the 2026 Light Up Creston event, any local shopping you do can win you your purchase back!

Keep your receipts from any local shopping you do on the night (and ask for an extra copy!) Submit them to our Buy Local Creston Valley & Kootenay Lake team at the event for a chance to win the value of your receipt back as a gift card to the business you shopped at.

We will be located at the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce booth in Spirit Square!

Total prize pool of $500 to be won. We hope to see you tonight at the event!

03/13/2025

Congratulations Hom and the team at Bayleaf Indian Fusion Restaurant -Creston for winning Best Presentation!

And the winner for Best Presentation is....
BAYLEAF INDIAN FUSION!

The Bayleaf Indian Fusion was the publics favourite for Best Presentation, with the most number of votes for their Bayleaf Tandoori Chicken Burger!

Congratulations to the whole team at the Bayleaf Indian Fusion for their monumental effort in February, and well done on creating such a beautiful and well presented burger that the community loved.

The Bayleaf Tandoori Chicken Burger will be available all March, so if you haven't had a chance to try it, you still have time!

If you voted for Bayleaf Indian Fusion to win Best Presentation, be sure to check the Buy Local Creston Valley Page to see if you won a gift card for voting!

On behalf of the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce, we want to thank the businesses and community for making this month a success, we'll certainly do this again in 2026!

03/13/2025

Congratulations Kokanee Pub and the team on having the peoples choice of Best Tasting!

And the winner for Best Tasting Burger is....
KOKANEE PUB!

The Kokanee Pub was the publics favourite for Best Tasting Burger, with the most number of votes for their Yorkshire Pudding Bun!

Congratulations to the whole team at the Kokanee Pub for their monumental effort in February and well done on creating an awesome burger loved by the community.

The Yorkshire Pudding Bun will be available all March, so if you haven't had a chance to try it, you still have time!

If you voted for Kokanee Pub to win Best Tasting, be sure to check the Buy Local Creston Valley Page to see if you won a gift card for voting!

On behalf of the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce, we want to thank the businesses and community for making this month a success, we'll certainly do this again in 2026!

03/13/2025

Congratulations Busaba Thai Cafe for being our judges choice!

And the winner for Judges Choice is....
BUSABA THAI!

Unknown to the public or businesses, we had secret judges go around and try all the burgers this month, and are giving away an extra $500 in prizes to the business who was the judge's favourite!

The Busaba Thai was our Judges Favourite, with the highest rating for their Busababun!

Congratulations to the whole team at the Busaba Thai for their monumental effort in February, and well done on creating a burger loved by our secret judges, they were truly impressed!

The Busababun will be available all March, so if you haven't had a chance to try it, you still have time!

If you voted for Busaba Thai to win any category, be sure to check the Buy Local Creston Valley Page to see if you won a gift card for voting!

On behalf of the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce, we want to thank the businesses and community for making this month a success, we'll certainly do this again in 2026!