After years of more and more people suggesting a weekend opening, the people who manage the Langley Community Farmers Market thought 2018 might be the time.
“We’ve been thinking about adding a Saturday market for some time,” said Cherise McGee, the market manager.
“We’re always getting flak for not being a weekend market.”
And 2018 will mark the 10th anniversary of the market, currently staged in the courtyard of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Langley campus on Wednesday afternoons.
Just as the managers of the nonprofit organization were making up their mind to go ahead with a Saturday opening, the City of Langley called out of the blue to propose exactly that.
“It made our job easier,” McGee said.
The new “Farmers Market in the City” will be held outdoors in the parking lot of the Timms Community centre at 20399 Douglas Crescent, along the 56 Avenue side.
Plans call for the weekend event to start June 2 and run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday until Oct. 6.
McGee said the market is hoping to have 35 vendors, and so far 30 have signed up.
About half will be vendors from the Wednesday market and the new vendors will be mostly local Langley sellers.
If the Saturday market goes as well as expected, McGee said it will be back next year.
Asked about a potential conflict with the Fort Langley Village Farmers’ Market, which is also held on Saturdays, McGee said the two events are sufficiently separated by geography and the type of vendors, that she doesn’t see a conflict.
Malcolm Weatherston, the marketing manager of the Fort Langley market, agreed.
Weatherston said there are more than enough potential customers to go around, because the popularity of locally-sourced fare has increased over the eight years the Fort Langley market has been operating.
Over that time, he said it has gone from about 40 markets in all of B.C. to over 145, according to the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets.
“People are looking for fresh food from B.C. farms,” Weatherston said.
“You look at the Lower Mainland, there’s many, many farmers markets.”
Asked if the Fort Langley market might add a day, Weatherston said, “It’s a possibility … if people asked us to.”
The Fort Langley Farmers Market will start May 5 at St. Andrew’s Church at 9025 Glover Rd .
It will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Oct. 27. There is also a Christmas market, offering locally grown fresh farm vegetables and fruit, cheeses, fruit preserves, fresh baked goods, B.C. arts and crafts, hot BBQ pork and local organic fruit wines and spirits every week.
The Wednesday Langley Community Farmers Market featuring more than 50 vendors that “Make it, Bake it or Grow it” will begin May 16 and run every Wednesday from noon until 4:30 p.m. until Oct. 10.
READ MORE: Farmer’s market returns to Aldergrove
The Aldergrove Summer Farmers’ Market will resume June 3 and operate every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Sept. 2 at 272 Street and 32 Avenue, featuring Fraser Valley veggies, fruit, jams and baked goods, plus hand-made soaps, clothes and designer jewelry.
READ MORE: Langley’s first Winter Market at KPU declared a success
READ MORE: Gumboot Gala hosted by Langley Community Farmers Market supports food coupon program
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
