I confess from the get-go, I am no crafty type. I’ve never understood the appeal of crocheted toilet-seat covers and I already have enough tie-dyed scarves to string together into an escape ladder in case of fire.

But there are craft shows, and then there are hip, eclectic craft shows. For instance, you won’t find the usual suspects—beeswax candles, silk flower arrangements—at Edmonton, AB’s Spring Stop and Shop. The ambiance is modern European artisan market; the mood enhanced through music spun by local DJs. There’s also the Funky Fusion Craft Sale in Edmonton (Nov. 22).

Artsy Winnipeg, MB, has some craft sales around Christmastime that have a bohemian, renegade vibe. This Ain’t Your Grandma’s Craft Sale—considered the most radical of the lot—has a real following among Winnipeg’s scensters. You can also check out the Scattered Seeds Christmas Show craft sale, Manitoba’s largest, without the corporate feel.

Every April, residents of Iqaluit, Nunavut’s capital city, celebrate the return of spring at the Toonik Tyme festival. It’s a great opportunity for visitors to the Canadian Arctic to get involved in traditional Inuit activities such as igloo building, dog-team races, even seal-skinning contests. For those who can stomach it, there’s also the Toonik Tyme Fear Factor.

And next summer, the Great Northern Arts Festival happens in Inuvik, NWT, in July. You can take part in workshops where you’ll learn everything from making your own chef’s knife to carving jewellry out of whalebone and antlers.