With no flooding or fires in Lake Country, the manager of the Lake Country Farmers and Crafters Market is hoping the season will return to normal.
Shayne Wright said the market took a hit last year with the floods and the fires in the Central Okanagan and he hopes this season will be better.
“We did better than some who were closer to the fires,” he said.
Around eight to 10 vendors are lined up to kick off Friday’s market, a number Wright expects will increase to around 40 later on in the season.
The farmer’s market has been running since the early 2000s.
“This could actually be the 17th or 18th season,” Wright said, adding some vendors have around since the market’s inception.
The food vendors, farmers and artisans will all be offering their goods at the market, which runs every Friday from June 1 to Sept. 28 at Swalwell Park, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“What they sell has to be their own products, so they can’t bring someone else’s (goods),” Wright said.
Vendors include travelling artisans and local farmers who sell produce, fruits, foods and crafts along with bread, jams sausages and more.
“You can come out for dinner,” Wright said, adding ready-to-eat foods will be available on site.
Travelling artisans come participate in the market as far away as Ontario and Alberta.
“It does tend to be locals, but the big thing about our market is that it has to be their own product,” he said. “We focus on local or handmade. It builds our local economy.”
Kelowna’s outdoor farmer’s market has been open since April.
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carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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