The Crossfield Farmers’ Market is kicking off the 2022 season on June 2. Open every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. rain or shine, the weekly market will take place outside the Crossfield and District Community Centre.
One change this year is the market will be open later compared to previous years. According to the market manager Cheryl Shea, after a survey was sent to Crossfield residents in January, it was clearly apparent the market had to remain open later into the evening.
Being somewhat of a commuter town, many residents were returning to Crossfield just as the market was closing, Shea explained.
“We’ve shifted our hours and we hope that means the community will come down to have dinner with us and to shop the market,” Shea said.
To celebrate the opening of the dog-friendly market on June 2, there will be a giveaway for the first 50 customers.
Launching this year, Shea said two new tents called the Community Tent and the Kickstarter Tent will be present each week at the market. The Community Tent is rentable for organizations within the Crossfield community. The tent space allows groups to tell the people of Crossfield what local programs are available for them. Guests can expect to see Crossfield wellness groups, sports clubs, and various youth initiatives at the Community Tent.
The Kickstarter Tent, meanwhile, provides a risk-free way for new vendors to try selling their products at the market.
“We’re providing all the equipment, all they have to do is show up with [their] products…getting into farmers’ markets, it can be fairly expensive, buying the tents and whatnot and you don’t know if it’s for you,” Shea said.
The Alberta-certified farmers market will host around 45 vendors each week, with some vendors appearing every Thursday and some new ones popping up throughout the summer. All vendors “are making, baking, and growing in Alberta,” according to Shea.
“We have bakers, we have booze, we have artisans, and we have mosaic farms selling bedding plants,” Shea said.
New to the farmers market this year, Shea highlighted a mushroom farm and an artisan salami vendor.
Not only does the market offer a variety of shopping experiences, but there will also be two food trucks present every Thursday. The market has a rotating list of six food trucks, so options will vary every week. However, Shea said Rocky Roadz, which makes gourmet mini donuts, will be at the market every week.
Aside from the summer season, the Crossfield Farmers’ Market hosts four weekend markets throughout the year. These specialty markets take place in February, April, October, and a Christmas market in November or December, which has over 250 vendors.
The four specialty markets draw plenty of non-residents of Crossfield into the town. According to Shea, the influx of tourists to the town has a positive impact on the local stores in Crossfield.
“People, grocery stores, gas stations, have all told me that they do very well on market days, so we’re hoping that they think that [the market] is a good asset,” Shea said. “We need community support in order to thrive and keep vendors coming in.”
