The Pier Street Farmers Market will be located in a downtown parking lot again this year instead of its usual spot at Maritime Heritage Centre.
The market relocated to the parking lot across Cedar Street from the Community Centre last year due to COVID-19 concerns about vendors and patrons being able to socially distance properly. This year it will return to that same location, but with added electrical capacity.
The Pier Street Association (PSA) asked the city if it could use the $7,500 in beautification funding for the year for the installation of a power box at the site for vendors to use, as last year everyone was running off generators borrowed from the city.
Council decided, however, that the installation of that box would technically be a piece of city-owned infrastructure that could be used in the future, as well, and the money for its installation should instead come from the Council Contingency fund.
According to a report produced for the city by recreation programmer Linda Nagle, the market’s changed location last year was considered a great success.
Despite artisan vendors – which made up the vast majority of the vendors previous years at the Maritime Heritage Centre location – not being allowed last year due to COVID restrictions the market still saw an average of 21 vendors and 693 visitors over the 12 weeks it ran.
Now that it has been announced that artisans are allowed back at markets, it’s expected that this year’s edition of the market will see increased interest, as well.
The market is expected to run on Sundays from May 2 through Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
RELATED: Farmers’ Market relocates to Cedar Street
RELATED: Market ‘exceeding expectations’ at Cedar Street Location
miked@campbellrivermirror.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
