Clearwater residents will have a new market to look forward to this summer.
Kathy Downey, who used to run her own shop called Kathy’s Market Place, decided there are a number of vendors in town whose products don’t fit the criteria to sell at the weekly Farmer’s Market and need a place to set up shop.
“It’s not going to be like the Farmer’s Market where your stuff has to be homemade. At the Farmers Market, (the product) has to be handcrafted,” Downey said, of the Farmer’s Market’s policy of make it, bake it, sew it, grow it.
“Whereas at my market, it won’t be. It’ll be like an open market.”
Downey’s new venture, which she simply named the Clearwater Outdoor Market, is expected to be open Saturdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. in the parking lot of the Clearwater Centre (formerly called the Brookfield Mall) in front of the old Safety Mart.
Anyone is welcome to become a vendor for a $10 fee, which will then be donated to the Clearwater and District Food Bank.
Some of the items buyers can expect to find at the Clearwater Outdoor Market include arts and crafts, homemade baking, fruits and vegetables, flowers, jewelry, and sewing, crocheting, and knitting.
Downey said she plans to offer everything from health and wellness products to Pampered Chef, Epicure and Scentsy products from her own booth.
“I put on events, bazaars, and Christmas (functions); I do all kinds of things throughout the area to promote entrepreneurs to sell merchandise,” said Downey.
“It sure would be nice to build up the old shopping centre and revitalize the area and I thought what a perfect opportunity when there’s an empty parking lot.”
She also noted that all COVID-19 precautions set out by Health Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry will be strictly followed at the markets.
“All of those rules will be carefully and absolutely abided by. I want to make it really clear that there will be no problem adhering to the rules,” Downey said.
The first Clearwater Outdoor Market is scheduled to take place on Saturday (June 6), though anyone interested in setting up and selling products needs to pre-register with Downey ahead of each event.
Those interested can contact her at 778-208-5359 or reach out on her Facebook page, Swap N Shop Online Store.
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