Downtown Farmers Market set to return June 15

Edmonton's Downtown Farmers Market is returning in June, ringing in the summer season with produce, meat, handcrafted goods and more from Alberta's farms.

The outdoor market will be set up June 15 on 104 Street between Jasper Avenue and 102 Avenue and will run every Saturday until Oct. 12, regardless of weather conditions.

“We know that bringing this market back to this iconic location is going to bring community vibrancy and economic strength back to the area and give people from near and far a weekly reason to come and spend a Saturday Downtown,” said Puneeta McBryan, CEO of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association in a Tuesday news release.

More than 75 vendors have already applied for a spot in the market, including returning booths from Lacombe Fresh, Riverbend Gardens, Reclaim Organics, Ocean Odyssey and many more. This year's market will have extended patios to give customers more space to explore, the news release said.

Neighbourhood business owners, like Geoff Linden, owner of Credo Coffee, say they're looking forward to the market's return and increased foot traffic on the street every Saturday.

“We're excited to see the market return to our doorstep, but even more excited about that energy and vibe coming back to 104 Street that we had in the past,” Linden said in the release.

This year's market will be operated by Foundry Events, which manages successful events for Explore Edmonton, Tourism Jasper, and the Edmonton International Airport.

“The City of Edmonton is proud to support the Downtown Farmers Market return to 104 Street and is excited to have this historic experience back in the heart of our city,” said Tom Girvan, the city's director of downtown vibrancy and safe city, in the news release. “The market will bring thousands of people to our downtown, connecting residents, families and visitors to many local producers.”

The market will continue to recruit vendors through the summer and applications can be made online.