The first Ladner Village Market of the 2015 season takes place Sunday.
“It is completely filled, which is lovely,” Tracey McKnight, one of the organizers behind the popular annual attraction, says of the vendor roster.
Each market of the season, which includes seven dates over the course of the summer, features 160 vendors along with local merchants.
“We’re excited,” she says.
There will be a mix of new and returning vendors.
“This Sunday there will be lots of hugs and smiles from our steadfast returning artisans and lots of people on-hand to guide the new artisans through the setup at their location,” McKnight explains.
Those who get hungry while doing some shopping shouldn’t need to go far for a snack. McKnight says the market will be introducing a few new food trucks at each date to complement its food vendors as well as local restaurants.
Examples of food at the market include schnitzel, skewered meatballs, smoothies with berries and greens, sweet and savoury crepes, salmon burgers, perogies, hotdogs bratwurst and more. She notes there will be cold-pressed oils and butters, goat cheeses and gluten-free products.
The market will also have things like handmade soaps made with beer and spirits and coffee, planters, garden furniture, and wood, glass and beauty products.
“It’s a well-rounded market,” she says.
There will be live music to keep shoppers entertained as well. The 2015 schedule starts off with Cannery Row, purveyors of fine blues and roots music.
This year marks the 19th season for the local attraction, labeled as Western Canada’s largest open-air market.
“It’s really unbelievable. We’re proud to be a summer event that’s welcomed each year by both our local community and the residents throughout the Lower Mainland,” says McKnight.
She notes three new market managers, Jan Salvador, Jill McKnight and Stephen Smith, who have been involved in the market in many different capacities over the years, have joined herself and her husband Bill McKnight this year.
The Ladner Village Market spans three blocks on 48th Avenue, from Elliott Street to Delta Street, and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The market takes place on the second and fourth Sundays of June, July and August, as well as a Sunday in September.
For more on the event, visit ladnervillagemarket.com.
