Market News & Events

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the rest of the summer could be like it was on Saturday-sunny, warm with a slight breeze. Everyone at the Farmers’ Market commented on how awesome the day was. The Market was busy since we were sharing the park with Kerry’s Place and their clients and supporters. Also in the park was Deborah Campo’s Art in the Park as well as Natalie Allan’s Yoga classes. It was an exciting day topped off by the Therapy Seekers band. Our next new vendor I’d like to introduce is Keith Severs of Great Turnings. He grew up in small towns in Ontario until moving to Toronto in 1981 to attend Humber College of Applied Arts and Technology, where he received his Diploma in Horticultural Landscape Technology. After graduation, [...]

Our second Special Event of the season, Strawberry Fest, took place on Saturday in the rain which caused us some problems. Some of our programming had to be cancelled as we couldn’t ask children to sit on wet benches for Storytime with the library, for example. However, our intrepid band, the Coyotes, were great sports and played almost all morning, right up until the Market closed for the day. We’re very grateful to them. As the season progresses, the farmers have more and more Ontario produce appearing on their tables. You will find strawberries galore, as well as still some asparagus and rhubarb. There are now all kinds of beautiful salad greens as well as sprouts. I brought home some beet sprouts for the first time. Also available were spring [...]

Another beautiful spring day has come and gone at the Aurora Farmers’ Market and Artisan Fair. Once again, we were busy with customers enjoying the day and the growing array of produce becoming available. Next Saturday is our annual Strawberry Fest and we are expecting several of our farmers to have the first strawberries of the season, which will most certainly bring out the crowds. Our long time vendor, Andy Sampogna, of 19th Avenue Farm, now known as Farm 2 Home, will be arriving at the Market and will be located at the far end of the south pathway near the Larmont Street entrance. He will have a smaller booth than previously but he always has an interesting selection of produce. With his arrival, our complement of full time vendors [...]

What a gorgeous day it was on Saturday for our Grand Opening of the Aurora Farmers’ Market and Artisan Fair. We enjoyed a hot, sunny day which helped to bring out many people to enjoy the entertainment and extras we provided for our first Special Event of the season. We were treated to music provided by the Therapy Seekers as well as a huge Tiramisu cake, samplers of Mimosas and several great prizes. Other than the band, these treats were all coordinated and provided by our wonderful Council Liaison, Sandra Humfreys. In addition, there were several local dignitaries who attended and brought their congratulations and best wishes for a great market season. Our grateful thanks go to Mayor Dawe, Deputy Mayor Abel, MPP Chris Ballard, Councillor Gaertner, Councillor Kim Councillor [...]

The first two weeks of the Farmers’ Market have gone well as people became familiar with our new layout. So far, the response has been very positive from shoppers and vendors alike. Many of our regular, full time vendors are already there, but as usual, some of our farmers will arrive a bit later in the spring when they have more produce available. I did receive a newsletter from Willowtree Farm that they now have asparagus and rhubarb ready, so you can expect to see those two popular crops at the Market any day. After that, more and more produce will begin to appear as the season progresses. This year we have several new vendors for you to meet. The first one I want to tell you about is actually [...]

I know that it is supposed to be spring, but in our neighbourhood, there are still small piles of snow competing with tiny snowdrops popping their pretty heads up in the lawn. We experienced a very long winter which seemed like it would never end. However, the forecast for this week is for lovely, warm spring weather, just in time to welcome the Aurora Farmers’ Market and Artisan Fair back for its outdoor season on Saturday, May 5th. This year, you will find us in Town Park, except for six farmers whose trucks are too heavy to go into the Park. This reconfiguration is in response to those of you who found that our previous lineup of vendors from Mosley to Metcalfe was difficult to navigate, especially with cars exiting [...]

It couldn’t last forever. Our run of beautiful Saturday weather finally came to an end this past weekend, when the Farmers’ Market vendors set up and took down their booths in the rain. Happily, it didn’t rain all day, but enough to keep the shopper’s numbers down. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the rest of the month remains mild. Now I’d like to introduce another new vendor this year, Sabrina of Organic Yum Yums, who will be at the Market on October 28th. Sabrina and her husband always have enjoyed family gatherings with fresh home cooked meals where she remembers connecting, laughing, and enjoying the moments together. With their many travels, her husband also became an adventurous eater and now they want to pass those same values and memories [...]

Last Saturday was another spectacular hot, sunny fall day at the Farmers’ Market. It seems that fall is trying to make up for the deficiencies of this year’s summer. The beautiful day brought out both shoppers and smiles. Let us collectively will this lovely weather to last even longer. This time of year sees the farmers’ tables brimming with produce, all freshly picked and local, except for the fruit which they bring in from the Niagara region. We still have an abundance of corn, alongside cabbage, cauliflower in its many colours, broccoli, beets, potatoes, field tomatoes and so much more. We also have strawberries and now fall raspberries as well as many varieties of apples, pears, some plums and grapes. This is also the time to get your Thanksgiving orders [...]

Despite a very chilly start to the day, this past Saturday turned into a sunny and beautiful day for both the Farmers’ Market and Aurora’s second Multicultural Festival. From 11 am both groups shared Town Park and that worked very well. The variety of multicultural performances brought many families to the park and to the Armoury to sample ethnic food and that meant that the Market was busier than it might have been otherwise. Our vendors were happy  to co-operate with the Town of Aurora on this special day. This season Sport Aurora and Activate Aurora has had a booth at the Market. Since much has been written about the group lately, I am going to introduce you to their Executive Director, Laurie Mueller, who is expected to be the [...]

We have been so lucky to have enjoyed beautiful, sunny days and mild temperatures for the last two Saturday markets. Two weeks ago everyone who attended was treated to tasty barbecued local corn cooked by a few of our Town Councillors, John Abel and his wife, Tracy, and Harold Kim. They were assisted by a great friend of the market, Diane Buchanan. For the first time a dunk tank added to the fun and both Councillors were great sports in allowing themselves to be dunked for charity. All together, we raised about $360 for the Aurora Food Pantry. Thank you all. This past Saturday began as a cool morning but gradually warmed and became a truly beautiful day. The increasing warmth brought out the customers and it became very busy [...]

If the sudden downpour could have held off for another 30 minutes or so, it would have been a perfect day at the Market on Saturday. We had a cool but sunny start and the day warmed from there, and the shoppers increased as the weather warmed. There are still lots of strawberries available as well as apricots and a few different types of plums. I saw some cantaloupes at 19th Avenue Farm. There was corn as far as the eye can see and some farmers had more than one type of corn. Although we usually favour the bicolour corn, we’re giving the super sweet yellow variety a taste this time. The availability of all this ripe corn is perfectly timed for next weekend’s annual Community Corn Roast. The next [...]

Once again the Farmers’ Market and Artisan Fair was treated to a beautiful sunny and warm day on Saturday. There was a steady stream of customers, although many people are away on trips or at cottages. I’m told by a few of our vendors that some families stop by the market early on Saturday morning to pick up supplies on their way to the cottage—what a great idea! Each week now seems to bring newly ripened produce. We even have some delicious albeit expensive wild blueberries. I’m trying to think of creative ways to use them in cooking beyond the traditional pancakes or in desserts. Blueberries actually work well with meat too. If I do develop a really interesting recipe, I’ll share it in a future column. The next vendor [...]

We were extremely fortunate to have a lovely sunny and warm day at the Farmers’ Market on Saturday, given all the rainy days we have experienced this summer. We also had an embarrassment of riches with two buskers performing on the same day, due to a scheduling error. It wasn’t our busiest day, but business was steady. Walking around the market, I saw some new produce now available: Wild Blueberries at 19th Avenue Farm along with small yellow plums, raspberries at Oakridges Finest, raspberries and corn at Willowtree Farm and our cherries at Coopers Farm. There were beautiful peas and beans at several of the farmers’ tables This is the time of the season is when so much of what we grow in Southern Ontario begins to appear at Farmers’ [...]