Court Street was awash with holiday joy yesterday during the area’s annual Christmas market.

The event, which filled up the stretch between Victoria and Elliot streets, invited the public to take care of last-minute shopping with the help of about 35 vendors.

Valerie Young, the owner of True Reflections, said she had attended every Court Street Christmas Market since its inception.

She said: “You get to see old friends and other vendors that you haven’t seen for a while and you just enjoy the atmosphere, basically.”

“You want people to experience the excitement you felt when you bought stuff.”

Ms Young, whose business specialises in “Afrocentric items” such as clothing and accessories, admitted that this year had not seen as many visitors as normal because of a similar event taking place in Dockyard.

However, she said, the regulars were “still coming through” and she was confident there would be good sales for vendors and businesses.

Ms Young said: “Bermudians are last-minute shoppers for Christmas, so they’re trying to find their gifts today.”

Irwin Trott, the leader of Warwick Gombey Troupe, said the atmosphere had been very festive and supportive despite the overcast weather and momentary rain shower.

He added: “There are a lot of people suffering financially, yet you see people still coming out to try to support the small-business owner and that is so vital.

“It’s nice to see all kinds of people from walks of life coming here to support the entrepreneur or the small-business person.”

Mr Trott said the market was good for Bermuda’s middle class and small-business owners, which further assisted the economy as a whole.

He said: “It’s awesome and it’s needed for any economy.

“Any economy around the world requires entrepreneurship and small business — that helps to feed and grow our middle class.

“Without a middle class, an economy would not be sustainable.”

Mr Trott wished the community a safe and happy holiday season and encouraged the public to see his troupe in Somerset on Boxing Day.

Attendees took part in a raffle that offered Belco vouchers, grocery gift baskets worth $500 and even a motorcycle as the top prize.

The event also featured live music and free hot chocolate.

Karen Ball, 61, said this was her third time attending the Christmas market.

She said that she wanted to support smaller, local businesses and enjoy the festive atmosphere.

Ms Ball said: “It makes everything jolly. It gets everyone talking and wishing each other a merry Christmas if you don’t see someone before the holidays.”

Ms Ball, from Pembroke, said she had finished her Christmas shopping but might pick up a small gift for herself.

Kyla Tear, the owner of accessory store Questions and Exclamations, said she had attended the market for the past two years and always enjoyed it.

She said that the market was great exposure for vendors without bricks-and-mortar stores.

Ms Tear added: “This is good for the community, especially for Court Street as a whole because a lot of violence has been happening, so it’s good to get people out.”

Feria Alpha, the organiser of the event, said that she was happy with the turnout and festive atmosphere that was sustained throughout the day.

“It definitely brings great spirits and great cheer,” Ms Alpha said. “It helps people to be happy and gives them hope. The Court Street market is spreading the love.”

Ms Alpha said the event was a great opportunity to advertise Court Street businesses and Bermudian vendors.

She added: “It’s the biggest culture market that we have in Bermuda.

“It’s our roots and our culture, and there’s a lot of history behind the Court Street market as well.”