A stroll through the Morden Farmers' Market (with video)
News
Posted By Lorne Stelmach
Updated 1 month ago
By Lorne Stelmach
The packed street in downtown Morden recently seemed reminiscent of the signature event that will draw thousands to the community in August.
The weekly farmers market sponsored by the Morden District Chamber of Commerce is drawing larger crowds each Thursday now and creating the kind of festive atmosphere associated with the Corn and Apple Festival.
If people are coming each week and making a day of it in Morden, then the market is accomplishing what organizers have hoped it would.
"Even when we had a rainy day recently, we still had a good crowd," noted said co-ordinator Lynette Froese of Wheatsong Bakery - one of 30 regular vendors at the market that runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m. each Thursday at 8th and Stephen Street in downtown Morden.
"We're trying to make it more of a community event. And we hope it is becoming a destination for people."
The Morden Farmer's Market is filled with vendors selling everything from fruit, veggies, preserves, meat (pork, beef, bison), baking, food mixes … and the list goes on.
Froese said they are happy with the response to the market, and she attribute some of its success to the extra events and activities they have gradually adding to the market.
One such event was the Family Day July 15 with additional entertainment, clowns, face-painting and more, and it drew one of the biggest crowds yet.
As well, the adjacent Morden Kinsmen Suncatch offers an ideal location for the Pembina Hills Art Centre to host arts and crafts activities. The centre has used it to showcase some of the area's many talented artists with the spotlight in recent weeks on woodworker Walter Dueck and photographer Laura Ann Thiessen.
In addition, the Youth for Christ centre in Morden have held fundraising barbecues.
This season, the market has also added an information booth for the market visitors.
Froese noted the market will also change from week to week as more produce becomes available and some seasonal vendors are added into the mix.
"We'll probably be getting corn vendors in the next week or two," she suggested.
To keep up with the latest market news, go online to the Morden farmers' market blog at www.mordenmarket.wordpress.com.
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