Ancaster Farmers’ Market returns to the Village for 2021

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Published May 4, 2021 at 7:26 am

The Ancaster Farmers’ Market is gearing up for their 2021 season and announced recently that they will be back in the Village on Wednesdays starting June 2.

The market’s new location will be at the corner of Academy Street and Wilson, right near the famous Coach and Lantern Pub, in Ancaster.

Up until last year, the market operated outside of St. John’s Anglican Church, located a few blocks away from this year’s location on Wilson. With the pandemic, the Niagara Diocese could not commit to renting the property at the time the Ancaster Farmers’ Market and Ancaster Village BIA needed to make a decision to plan the 2021 season.

So, last year, the Ancaster Farmers’ Market set up shop at the Ancaster Fairgrounds and while the bigger location enabled plenty of vendors and patrons to safely operate and patronize the market, walkability was sorely missed.

Market manager Cindy Hawryluk told InTheHammer that an informal survey of patrons found that many people missed the more central location.

“While the market had several familiar faces and regular customers last year, it also attracted a lot of different people from around the Fairgrounds and west of Ancaster,” she said, noting that turnout was very good, with more than 4,000 people visiting throughout last year’s shortened season.

“But we heard from a lot of people that they missed it [being in the Village].”

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So this year, while still abiding by Ontario’s pandemic protocols to limit the spread of the virus, the market will move to the new location with plans to keep vendors and patrons safely spaced out.

“We are encouraging everyone to come one person per [household],” Hawryluk said. “And we are asking that you leave your pets at home too.”

Hawryluk said the hope is to one day restore the Market to its former status as a community gathering place but this year it just won’t be possible.

“It’s still an opportunity for people to come out to support local farmers and producers in the area,” she said. “But it won’t be like it was before.”

There’s still a big sense of community to be found in the area on Market days, Hawryluk said, noting that businesses in the area have expressed their excitement at having it so close by.

“Businesses in the village are very supportive and are welcoming us with open arms,” she said.

“Some even say they plan on offering possible market-day specials.”

The number of vendors will be down slightly from previous years to create enough space for people to move around but there will be a nice mix of old favourites and market newcomers.

“Right now, we have 28 confirmed vendors,” Hawryluk said, with more likely to be added in the coming weeks. “And there’s quite a range [of goods and services].”

For those still not comfortable venturing out into the community, the Market will also be offering online ordering and curbside pick-up, a service that many shoppers took advantage of last year.

The online shop will allow patrons to shop from Thursday to Monday every week and curbside pickups will be between 3 and 7 p.m. on Wednesdays (market day) at a designated space.

The Ancaster Farmers’ Market opens for the 2021 season on June 2 and its online shop goes live on May 27.

For more information on the Market, its vendors and to check out the online store when it goes live, visit the website.

Here’s a list of confirmed vendors (so far) for the Ancaster Farmers’ Market’s 2021 season:

Allison’s Savoury Pies – Meat Pies and soups

Andiamo Italian – Food Truck

Aunt Beth Bakes – Cookies

Between the Lines Winery – Wine

Birds and the Bees – Honey

Brantwood Farms – Fruits and Vegetables

Brewer’s Blackbird – Craft Beer

Canalside Sodas– Soda

Cranston Farms – Corn

Dear Grain – Bread

Delicious All Day Coffee – Coffee

Fenwick Berry Farms – Fruit

Flat Rock Cellars – Wine

Flora Borealis – Flowers

Foundry Ice Cream – Ice Cream

Hunters Maple Bush – Maple Syrup

Jerrys Berries – Raspberries

Ridge Road Estate Winery – wine

Suzie’s Gluten Free Kitchen – Gluten Free products

Sweet Potato Johnny – Sweet Potato dishes

Taste of Poland – Perogies and Cabbage Rolls

The Bread Bar – Oven Pizza / Bread / Pies

Thistlewood Farms – beef, pork, eggs, cheese

Uncle Dad’s Pizza – Pizza

Van Elswyk Farms– Vegetables

Veliotiko Products – Olive oil / Balsamic

Vince Cured Meats – Meats and Cheeses

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