In contrast to last year, the end of the 2011 season of the City Market on 104 Street doesn’t feel as final. Although Mack and I will miss having all of the vendors and festivities just out our front door, we are comforted knowing that the market is continuing indoors at City Hall next week (they also debuted their new website this week!).

One of the signs taped to the street as a reminder

I really hope the word spreads far and wide so patrons will still think of the City Market as a new year-round shopping option. Though I know it will take some time to embed this fact, I don’t think enough has been done to promote the seamless transition to City Hall. We just ran into a woman in our building this morning, a regular market shopper, who didn’t know about the continuation.

City Market

The other half of the battle is convincing shoppers that this year-round City Market will be populated with enough vendors to make a trip there worthwhile (instead of, say, heading to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market where one would be certain of the vendors present). It is a bit of a chicken-egg argument (vendors need a critical mass of patrons to purchase their products, but patrons need a good variety to be enticed), but I really think it would have been great if even a partial list of vendors who had committed to the City Hall edition was released. Again, as I mentioned last week, I realize that the City Market still hasn’t received applications from all vendors, but I think it would help people plan their shopping trip, and create a concrete buzz for next week.

Irvings Farm Fresh will be at City Hall all winter

Regardless, as far as a wrap-up to the outdoor portion of the market year, the weather was brilliant. Sunny and warm, it almost made up for the many rainy and miserable Saturdays this summer.

Riverbend Gardens could even go without a tent!

Mack and I always love to see events that tie-in to the market, either right on the street or in the area, and the studio sale in the Great West Saddlery building was no exception. We popped upstairs to see designers Bridget Smatlan, Jessica Halabi, Gabrielle Cruz and Corinna Chow in their element. It was good to meet all of you!

Corinna and Gabrielle in their studio

As I did in my last City Market report post in 2010, I wanted to again pay homage to the dedicated producers who work to bring us fresh produce, proteins and wares week in and week out, whatever the weather. Here are just some of the producers:

Andres and Megan of Greens, Eggs and Ham

Jen of Jen’s Organic Garden

James of Sundog Organic Farm

Irvings Farm Fresh

Patty of Lola Canola (in her last market appearance!)

Rick of Barr Estate Winery

Ed of Sunshine Organic Farm

Mathias and Gerda of Green Valley Farm

Thanks for a great outdoor season, and see you at City Hall next week!

If last Saturday was a little burst of summer, today saw a full-on shift to fall – breezy, overcast and chilly.

Fall at the City Market

The final cultural festival, celebrating African culture, took place today, but as Mack and I were attending a wedding later this morning, we weren’t able to stay to take in the performances. I’m sure they were fantastic though!

We ducked around to pick up our week’s groceries, and of course, snapped a few pictures along the way.

Carrots from Sundog Organic Farm

Kohlrabi from Sundog Organic Farm

Blueberries from Steve & Dan’s

Brussels sprouts from Green Valley Farm

Flowers from Kuhlmann’s

Turnips from Kuhlmann’s

Pattypan and summer squash from Kuhlmann’s

Massive zucchini from Kuhlmann’s

Gourds at Riverbend Gardens

Though next week will see the last outdoor City Market of 2011, I’m excited that the move to the indoor venue won’t skip a beat – the City Market begins at City Hall on October 15, 2011! Though I realize that not all of the vendors have put in their applications for the indoor market yet, it would be helpful to shoppers to know which vendors have already planned to continue with the City Market this fall. Some vendors like Sundog Organics and Irvings Farm Fresh have taken marketing their presence into their own hands, but it would have been great if a blackboard at the info tent could feature the confirmed list of vendors moving into City Hall (or even better, the website could be updated with that information).

Sundog will be at City Hall!

See you next week at the last outdoor City Market of the year!

After so many dismal market days this year, it feels like we’ve earned this extended summer. There were many people taking advantage of it at the City Market today.

City Market

We had a prior engagement in the morning, but finally made it to the market this afternoon. There was actually still a decent selection for late in the day.

Bok choy from Sundog Organic Farm

Potatoes from Sundog Organic Farm

Gourds from Sundog Organic Farm

Grapes from Steve & Dan’s

Apples from Steve & Dan’s

Corn from Riverbend Gardens

Tomatoes from Gull Valley

We missed the market last week, so didn’t see the debut of Van Os Dairy to the City Market. Van Os sells organic milk (processed by Saxby Foods), and will soon also start offering butter, yogurt, cream and cheese as well.

Van Os Dairy

It’s great that local, organic milk is now accessible at the market! You can read more about Van Os and Saxby in this article by Jud Schultz.

As a part of Community League Day on September 17, the Downtown Edmonton Community League is hosting Corn Fest over at Beaver Hills House Park (105 Street and Jasper Avenue). If you’re at the market next Saturday, come by for some free corn! See you at the market next week!

It was another gorgeous day at the City Market. One of those days when summer seems like it could go on forever, and makes you forget that warm breezes and patio nights are coming to a rapid end. Until that happens, I will be more than happy to revel in the sunshine along with other market patrons.

City Market revellers

I was set to volunteer for the Downtown Edmonton Community League booth this afternoon, so was able to get in about fifteen minutes of frantic shopping before my shift. Thankfully Mack was available to pick up the rest of the things on the list, and helped me snap some photos as well!

Prunes at Steve & Dan’s

Fruit basket at Steve & Dan’s

Swiss chard from Kuhlmann’s

Sea of beans at Kuhlmann’s

Corn at Kuhlmann’s

Vegetable marrow at Kuhlmann’s

Green onions from Jen’s Organic Garden

Cauliflower from Riverbend Gardens

As for volunteering, it wasn’t much work at all: answering questions about community league membership benefits, catching up with old friends, meeting new residents. And by the end of the day, we sold about 40 memberships – not bad for the first day of our fall drive (DECL will be back at the market on September 10, 24 and October 8 if you want to pick up your membership).

Forming a very cheesy “I [heart] Downtown” with Chris and Scott

In other market news, I’m happy that the a winter venue has been secured, so that the transition from outdoors to indoors won’t skip a beat. The City Market will open in City Hall on October 15, 2011.

See you next week!

Apologies for the late post, but after a full day of Fringing, I was too pooped to blog last night. After a rocket-fast trip through the City Market Saturday morning, we caught a bus and just made it to our first of three shows yesterday.

Market square

Still, I’m glad we made it to the market – it’s always nice to catch the produce that is just coming into season that week.

Corn, sweet corn at Riverbend Gardens

Plums from Steve & Dan’s

Bartlett pears from Steve & Dan’s

Celery root from Green Valley Farms

Snow peas from Kuhlmann’s

Cucumbers from Kuhlmann’s

It was also great to see EnSante debut their new, revamped labels, now under the name “Birds & Bees Organic Winery”. All of their wines have been renamed as well, fully embracing flirty connotations – like “Big Tease” and “Little Flirt”.

Birds & Bees Organic Winery

Before running off to Old Strathcona, we stopped by Filistix. They had a new dish on their menu, the Caldereta, a traditional Spanish-Filipino beef stew. Ariel told us that Filistix will be focusing more on traditional Filipino cuisine (look for chicken adobo to be added in the future). They were nice enough to give us a box to try – served over a light coconut rice, we quite enjoyed the flavours. Tender beef, slightly sweet sauce, and their crisp, refreshing slaw made for a meal that was filling but not heavy. Another winner from Filistix!

Caldereta from Filistix

See you at the market next week!

Though I love visiting farmers’ markets while travelling, it’s always a bit frustrating because I’m never able to partake in the produce. I ended up browsing two different markets while in Toronto last week, and though their growing season is a bit further along than ours (corn was already available), it was nice to come home and fill our basket at the City Market this morning.

Long lost sun!

We were treated to a beautiful Saturday, something that has been quite rare this summer. But on a long weekend, it felt extra special.

Squash blossoms from Sundog Organic Farm

Kale from Sundog Organic Farm

Zucchini from Sundog Organic Farm

Squash from Kuhlmann’s

Carrots from Kuhlmann’s

Beans from Kuhlmann’s

Cauliflower from Riverbend Gardens

In addition to a great variety of produce, some stone fruit was also available.

Peaches from Steve & Dan’s

Apricots from Steve & Dan’s

We also tried bacon jerky from Irvings for the first time! It was a marriage of two of Mack’s favourite things – dangerously delicious. Perhaps it was for the best that it was sold out already.

Bacon jerky

Up at the market next week: India Fest on August 6, 2011. Expect traditional folk dances and drumming. See you there!