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Eid al-Adha Community Market Event — June 2026

Event Summary​

FieldDetail
EventEid al-Adha Community Market
DateLate May / Early June 2026 (Eid al-Adha 1447 AH)
LocationCommunity Association venue (Calgary)
SetupMarket table / booth
Organized byCommunity Association (ASSC)
Petite Cookie YYC RoleVendor / Brand Activation

What We Did​

Market Table & Sales​

  • Secured a vendor table at the Eid community market
  • Prepared and displayed a large variety of sweets, cookies, and other baked items
  • First major in-person sales event for Petite Cookie YYC
  • Community showed strong interest in buying sweets — high foot traffic
  • Sales were modest — the event was primarily a brand-building exercise
  • Some items were given as free samples/gifts to promote the brand and build word-of-mouth

Branding & Presentation​

  • Designed all branding materials using Claude AI (Anthropic)
  • Printed branding materials at home to keep costs low
  • Displayed logo, brand cards, and product signage at the table
  • Created a professional brand presence despite budget constraints
  • Already had: Eid Qurban greeting card (eid-qurban-card.html), business card, logo

Children's Program & Community Engagement​

  • Ran a children's activity program alongside the market table
  • Purchased play materials, art supplies, and painting kits for children
  • Children created artworks and paintings at the booth
  • Organized a prize-giving session in coordination with the community association
  • This dual approach (sweets + kids' activities) created strong brand visibility
  • Positioned Petite Cookie YYC as a community-oriented brand, not just a vendor

Financial Summary​

Revenue​

  • Sales were lower than inventory cost — this was an investment event
  • Exact sales figures: [TO BE LOGGED — Narjes to provide exact amounts]
  • Payment methods: Cash / e-Transfer
  • Some product given as promotional gifts (deductible as advertising/promotion)

Costs Incurred​

Action Required: Log all receipts and exact amounts in data/expenses/2026-06.yml

CategoryDescriptionEst. AmountDeductibleCRA Line
IngredientsBaking supplies for event inventoryTBDYesT2125 Line 8811
PackagingBoxes, bags, labels, tissue paperTBDYesT2125 Line 8811
Children's activitiesArt supplies, paint kits, prizes, play materialsTBDYesT2125 Line 8520 (Advertising/Promotion)
PrintingHome-printed branding materials (ink, paper)TBDYesT2125 Line 8811
Association contributionSmall percentage to community association (if given)TBDSee notesT2125 Line 8520 or 8760
MileageDriving to venue, supply runsTBDYesT2125 Line 9281 ($0.72/km)

CRA Treatment Notes​

  1. Ingredients & packaging → Standard business supplies (Line 8811)
  2. Free samples/gifts → Deductible as advertising and promotion (Line 8520). Document: quantity given, reason (brand promotion), and approximate FMV
  3. Children's event materials → Deductible as advertising/promotion (Line 8520). This is a legitimate brand activation / community engagement expense
  4. Association contribution → If ASSC is a registered charity, this could be a charitable donation (Line 9200). If not, treat as advertising/community relations expense (Line 8520). Check CRA charity registry first (see task T-2026-035)
  5. Home printing → Proportion of ink/paper used for business materials is deductible

Photos & Records​

Should You Keep Event Photos?​

YES — absolutely. Event photos serve multiple purposes:

  1. CRA audit support — Proves the business was operating, had a physical presence, and was actively seeking revenue. Strengthens the "reasonable expectation of profit" test
  2. Branding portfolio — Reuse in future marketing, Instagram, website
  3. Grant/permit applications — If you ever apply for market permits, small business grants, or insurance, event photos demonstrate track record
  4. Business history — Documents the growth journey of Petite Cookie YYC
Bornara/
  media/
    petite-cookie-yyc/
      events/
        2026-06-eid-al-adha/
          booth-setup/          ← Table display, signage, branding
          products/             ← Cookies, sweets, packaging
          children-program/     ← Kids activities, artwork, prizes
          community/            ← General event atmosphere
          branding-materials/   ← Printed cards, stickers, labels

Store on OneDrive (backed up, accessible). Do NOT commit large image files to the git repo — reference paths only.

Lessons Learned​

  • Community events are excellent for brand awareness even when sales are low
  • Free samples are a legitimate marketing strategy — document everything
  • Children's activities create family engagement and positive brand association
  • Home printing works for small events — consider professional printing for larger markets
  • Keep budget expectations low for first events — treat as marketing investment
  • The community has strong demand for sweets — validates the business concept

Follow-Up Actions​

  • Log all exact costs in data/expenses/2026-06.yml with receipts
  • Log Narjes hours for event prep, baking, and attendance in data/timesheets/2026-06.yml
  • Upload event photos to OneDrive (organized by category)
  • Post event highlights on Instagram @petitecookieyyc
  • Decide on association contribution amount (if any)
  • Track any post-event orders or inquiries from attendees
  • Update financial projections based on actual event data