(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
April 21, 2015 - 10:29 AM
KAMLOOPS - Get ready for more space, more vendors and a longer season as the first farmers' market of 2015 kicks off this weekend.
"There’s actually so many people this week that we’re going to be on the street and in the school yard,” market manager Annelise Grube-Cavers says.
Typically the first market of the season has fewer vendors and does not extend to the school yard.
She adds the first Saturday market, on April 25, will feature fresh produce, storage vegetables like potatoes and onions, honey, wine, cheese, meat, fresh baked goods and more. Local artisans will sell wares amid regular buskers invited back for the season. The Bellringer food truck will also attend the kickoff market.
Grube-Cavers says other food trucks are expected to make appearances throughout the season.
Beyond the food and the music, Grube-Cavers says handmade reusable cloth bags should make the sales rack and the nutrition coupon program will make a resurgence.
The coupon program provides fresh local food to low income families in Kamloops. Grube-Cavers says residents supported others with $19,000 worth of local product last year.
Grube-Cavers said 2015 will be the program’s fourth year. It’s set to begin in June.
With over 100 vendor applications from business-owners, she adds the season will lengthen by a month and end in November instead of October.
“We’re still waiting on confirmation for an interior location,” she says of where the market will be moved to when it goes indoors at the end of the season.
Saturday market hours are from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the 200-block of St. Paul Street and in the Stuart Wood Elementary school yard. Wednesday market days — set to begin May 6 — begin at 8 a.m. and run until 2 p.m. on 400-block of Victoria Street.
Grube-Cavers says to keep an eye out for the Peace March to take place in two weeks’ time. Facepainting will be available.
For more updates on the Kamloops Farmers' Market, check out its Twitter handle @kamloopsfarmmkt or its website.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca, or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015