After years of more and more people suggesting a weekend opening, the people who manage the thought 2018 might be the time.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been thinking about adding a Saturday market for some time,鈥� said Cherise McGee, the market manager.
鈥淲e鈥檙e always getting flak for not being a weekend market.鈥�
And 2018 will mark the 10th anniversary of the market, currently staged in the courtyard of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University 91原创 campus on Wednesday afternoons.
Just as the managers of the non颅profit organization were making up their mind to go ahead with a Saturday opening, the City of 91原创 called out of the blue to propose exactly that.
鈥淚t made our job easier,鈥� McGee said.
The new 鈥淔armers Market in the City鈥� will be held outdoors in the parking lot of the Timms Community centre at 20399 Douglas Crescent, along the 56 Avenue side.
Plans call for the weekend event to start June 2 and run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday until Oct. 6.
McGee said the market is hoping to have 35 vendors, and so far 30 have signed up.
About half will be vendors from the Wednesday market and the new vendors will be mostly local 91原创 sellers.
If the Saturday market goes as well as expected, McGee said it will be back next year.
Asked about a potential conflict with the , which is also held on Saturdays, McGee said the two events are sufficiently separated by geography and the type of vendors, that she doesn鈥檛 see a conflict.
Malcolm Weatherston, the marketing manager of the Fort 91原创 market, agreed.
Weatherston said there are more than enough potential customers to go around, because the popularity of locally-sourced fare has increased over the eight years the Fort 91原创 market has been operating.
Over that time, he said it has gone from about 40 markets in all of B.C. to over 145, according to the .
鈥淧eople are looking for fresh food from B.C. farms,鈥� Weatherston said.
鈥淵ou look at the Lower Mainland, there鈥檚 many, many farmers markets.鈥�
Asked if the Fort 91原创 market might add a day, Weatherston said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a possibility 鈥� if people asked us to.鈥�
The Fort 91原创 Farmers Market will start May 5 at St. Andrew鈥檚 Church at 9025 Glover Rd .
It will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Oct. 27. There is also a Christmas market, offering locally grown fresh farm vegetables and fruit, cheeses, fruit preserves, fresh baked goods, B.C. arts and crafts, hot BBQ pork and local organic fruit wines and spirits every week.
The featuring more than 50 vendors that 鈥淢ake it, Bake it or Grow it鈥� will begin May 16 and run every Wednesday from noon until 4:30 p.m. until Oct. 10.
The will resume June 3 and operate every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Sept. 2 at 272 Street and 32 Avenue, featuring Fraser Valley veggies, fruit, jams and baked goods, plus hand-made soaps, clothes and designer jewelry.
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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