Spring means sunshine, warm days and the return of a local favourite event, the Estevan Farmers’ Market. The event is about to start up again, for another season, at the Estevan Shoppers Mall, selling an array of products from a variety of vendors and businesses.
The market will run indoors for the next four weeks, starting this Saturday, running from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. From the May long weekend onward, the event will run with hours that benefit early risers, taking place outside, in the mall parking lot, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market will continue every Saturday, until late September.
Market manager Leona Koslowski noted that the market draws a crowd of vendors from all corners of Saskatchewan, bringing in a variety of goods that can change throughout the season.
“It grows as time goes on, because we have vendors who come in just to sell produce and canning products. As the year goes, we’ll get more vendors,” said Koslowski, who recommends checking out the market often throughout the season. “There are going to be bedding plants, (and) home-baked goods. We have vendors like Tupperware and Mary Kay and businesses like that, as well.”
The majority of the goods and crafts sold at the farmers market are homemade. Koslowski noted, while in a call with Lifestyles, that she, herself was in the midst of preparing a pan of pizza-pretzels to sell at her own baking table.
She said, about her pizza-pretzels, “It’s something you don’t seem to find in the stores. That’s like a lot of stuff available at the farmers’ market — so much of it is unique and homemade.”
Koslowski said there will be vendors from all over the southeast, including areas near Stoughton and Carlyle.
Koslowski said another feature of the farmers’ market will be Hutterite farmers from the Qu’Appelle Valley area, selling fresh vegetables by the truckload, later this season.
“It’s kind of scattered, and it definitely adds a lot of variety to the farmer’s market,” said Koslowski. “I haven’t been with the farmer’s market for very long — only the one just before Christmas, last year. We had a good turnout, back then. I’m hoping it stays the same, this time around.”
While there are only 10 registered vendors so far, Koslowski noted that many have been late to register this year, and vendors need to give two weeks’ notice when they do register and that there will be plenty more available as the season goes on.
