Wakamow Farmer's Market Set To Open With Over 60 Vendors Saturday Morning
By Robert Thomas
“It is good to have multiple markets for people to get out to on a Saturday,” Todd Johnson general manager for the Wakamow Valley Authority said as the Authority is set to open the second season of the Wakamow Farmer’s Market tomorrow (Saturday May 28th) from 9 am to 1 pm.
Tomorrow’s market, held at the speedskating oval, has over 60 vendors with a wide range of products available.
Started as a way for Wakamow to help pay the bills from the loss of income related to the inability to hold fundraisers during the COVID - 19 pandemic as well as a way to promote the park the market easily exceeded expectations in its inaugural year.
Last year saw a total of 146 vendors who took advantage of the drop in style the Market offered.
This year the Market has 75 vendors for the season which runs every Saturday morning from tomorrow until the first week of October.
Last year’s Market had a target of 35 vendors which was more than exceeded.
Opening day from last year’s inaugural Wakamow Farmer’s Market - MJ Independent file photo
“It has been really great for us…I expect it to grow and grow,” Johnson said now that the COVID - 19 restrictions have been eliminated by the province.
“I think for us it was great for people to be able to get out because of the COVID. We were able to spread our venue out and have lots of space in between vendors. The market fit everybody’s comfort level.”
Johnson said the great thing about the Market is not only does it have vendors who are at every market - often at the same place each weekend - but at the same time there is flexibility that a vendor can be there for a single or as many weekends as they like.
“Last year we had a woodworker who paid for the first three markets but ended up selling everything he had in the first market. He came to us and said he could not make it the next week as he needed to make some more items. We were OK with that and he was back for the third market.”
“Many vendors enjoy the freedom to come to the markets they chose to,” he said.
Vendors who were at the Market last year pay $15 per market while new vendors will pay $20 this year.
Johnson pointed out that not only does the Market have its regular vendors who are out every Saturday morning but at the same time the flexibility to show up for single markets allowed a lot of new variety to bring people back to the Market every weekend to see what is offered.
For people selling seasonal produce they may come to one market to sell fruit and vegetables when they are available.
Another major benefit for Wakamow is that by being set up in the speed skating oval with its facilities right there it allowed those facilities to be used 12 months of the year as well as complimented summer users of the park.
“It has been a great addition for people in the campground. They can walk over and take in the market.”
Although he could not say exactly how many people took in other areas of the park because of the market Johnson said near the market itself there were people who also enjoyed the park.
“There were a lot of people having picnics and hanging out after the market,” he said, adding “you couldn’t have asked for a prettier place to come for a market. We have the river right there, the trees and earlier in the morning there are often deer right there. It is a nice place to get outside on a Saturday morning.”
The Market saw everyone from produce sellers, craftspeople, food vendors and non-profits set up shop.
Last year’s numbers saw about 1,000 people attend each market due to the COVID - 19 restrictions but this year Johnson expects the number of people attending to grow.
Last year Wakamow tried evening markets but they did not draw a sufficient number of people so they will not be offered this year.
“People like their summertime and just never came out in the evening.”
Having more people in Wakamow because of the Market is a great Johnson said but at the same time the Market is a fundraiser for Wakamow.
“All the money (for vendor’s fees) goes back into the park. The money is used for a variety of things throughout the park to allow people to come out and take advantage of the park. All the money we raise is spent locally on the park.”
Johnson said the Wakamow Farmers Market is just one of the many markets in Moose Jaw - the other two well known markets are on Thatcher Drive East and the Downtown Farmer’s Market on Langdon Avenue - which is great for the community.
He used the analogy of garage sales where people going to garage sales hit multiple markets looking for items and bargains.
“You don’t just go to one garage sale you go to multiple ones…it (multiple farmer’s markets) is good for the city to get people out.”
The Wakamow Farmer’s Market at the Speed Skating Oval tomorrow May 28th from 9 am - 1 pm.