EDMONTON -- An outdoor farmers’ market will be returning to the Westmount and Oliver neighbourhoods in two weeks with new rules for the pandemic.
The 124 Grand Market will practice physical distancing between both vendors and patrons, limit the number customers and traffic in the market, and implement what it called robust cleaning and sanitation procedures when it opens May 14 in Westmount and May 16 in Oliver.
“In this new world we are living in, we had to start from square one,” founder and CVO Kirsta Franke said in an announcement.
“So much has changed over the past seven weeks, it has been a steep learning curve for market organizers across the province. We have been working hard with stakeholders right from the beginning to ensure we operate market in some capacity. Our vendors rely on markets as their only platform for selling and distributing their products. They are an essential part of our food supply chain and local economy.”
Beverage and food trucks have also been given the green light, but programming like Market Bucks and the Grand Stage series will not be returning for the time being.
Franke said organizers hoped more types of vendors would be able to return as the province reopens in phases.
Meanwhile, it is working with sister company The Public, which provides leased space to vendors, to pilot a delivery program with more than 20 local sellers.
Called The Public Offering Box, it will also launch May 14.
More information on the market and delivery program can be found online.
Other Edmonton markets have remained open with extra precautions and slower business.
