Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers’ Market Outdoor Season begins May 15th
When the Wednesday tents go up outside the HSCA, you know summer is just around the corner. It is the beginning of the outdoor Farmers’ Market season! Sure, we might be a little keen, making the move outside the week before May Long weekend, but as a year-round market, our vendors are eager to get out of the confines of our indoor set up, and into the sunshine and fresh air!
To reflect our excitement of being back outside, our Outdoor Season Opener –the first special event of many for the 2019 season- takes on a street party feel. On May 15th, we make the move; come celebrate local with us from 3-7pm! Our strong line-up of local vendors bring you the best in YYC produce, honey, soap, bread, meats, prepared foods and more. Two food trucks provide great on-site dinner options. Get to know your grower to win prizes, and participate in games with your neighbours! Kids will also have a chance to plant their very own bean seeds to take home and nurture. Local favourite, The Sadlier-Brown Band will be playing the Sweet Beet Stage from 5-7pm. They are a family trio playing bouncy bluegrass, sure to get you groovin’. Our Outdoor Season Opener is a great way to kick off a season of community connection, outdoor play, and healthy habits.
Beyond our Outdoor Season Opener, our Farmers’ Market family gathers in the East parking lot of the HSCA every Wednesday until mid-October when we find refuge from the cold back inside the Hearth Room. Until then, expect to find our tents out there, filled with smiling vendors bringing you their high-quality products no matter the weather. We are so much more than a venue for growers to connect with their consumers, and in an effort to ‘grow a good food community’ we are always coming up with ways to make your Wednesday’s something special that you can look forward to week after week. Each week our Sweet Beet Stage hosts live local talent, our Community Booth gives you the opportunity to engage with important grassroots work being done in your neighbourhood, and our Incubator Booth gives you the chance to test new products all season long. We also have special events planned for each month from our Pollinator Party, to our Teddy Bear Picnic, our annual Salsa Fest and Harvest Fair. Keep up with all these events and more on Facebook.
2019 is our Year of the Farmer and we can’t wait to take this party outside! We will transform your weekly grocery shop from complicated to conscious, and give you a reason to love Wednesday’s again. See you at the market!
Written by Heather Ramshaw, Community Connections Coordinator & Farmers’ Market Manager