One of the largest Christmas Markets in the foothills starts Friday.

The Okotoks Market Square Christmas Festival features 175 vendors this year, spread over two locations.

Andrea Wilton-Clark, Christmas Festival Co-organizer says a variety of items from glass work, wood work, baby gear and toys will be available.

"It's almost exclusively hand made and local of course, so it is really truly the best artisans we've found in southern Alberta. They're some of the most sought after, and we're just so excited that they've chosen us to showcase their products."

The Okotoks Christmas Festival runs Friday through Sunday, at the Foothills Centennial Centre and Elks Hall.

Wilton-Clark says the opened two locations this year as an overwhelming number of vendors wanted to participate.

"It was actually quite difficult choosing which of the vendors to take or that we couldn't take, and this is the reason we had to go to the two locations because we just simply didn't have the heart to turn these people away."

The Christmas Festival has also partnered with the food bank this year, with $1.00 from every admission going to the organization, along with charity activities at the event.

There's also a new way to save some cash with the Foothills Holiday Roadshow Pass, Wilton-Clark says they've partnered with numerous businesses and other markets to make Christmas shopping convenient for the customer.

"The pass is something that is really just a collaboration between some of the best markets in the foothills, the Millarville Christmas Market and the Okotoks Christmas Festival. This year we have added on passport to savings, we have 16 downtown shops and eateries participating, so if you have one of these passes not only do you get free admission into each of the markets but you get up to 50% discounts at local shops."

Information on the passes can be found here.

The Christmas Festival runs from 12-8 p.m. today, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The Millarville Christmas Market also runs this weekend.

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