Farmers markets, a rural BC tradition

Visitors to local farmers markets come for the season’s best garden-fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, often organically grown. They are attractively displayed in colorful stalls, alongside just-from-the-oven, home-baked breads, buns, cakes and pies. You’ll usually find jams, pickles, even delicious local honey and some markets sell farm-fresh eggs and locally-produced meats and cheeses as well.

Often, the vendors will be offering a sample to tempt your taste buds – like perhaps a cracker topped with a spoonful of homemade hot pepper jelly or a dollop of hummus on a crisp pita chip. You can take home a bunch of flowers, cut fresh while the dew was still on the garden, maybe a houseplant or a garden sculpture.

Local farmers markets offer much more, too. You can spend a delightful hour or two browsing the displays of paintings, photography, fragrant hand-made soaps and lotions, sewing, knitting, ceramics, woodworking, jewelry, glassware and more. Stop and chat with the artists and artisans and find a unique gift to surprise someone special – or even to treat yourself!

You can tap your feet to the lively melodies of local musicians while you enjoy a cup of locally-roasted coffee, visit with old friends and even make some new ones. It’s a fun place to be and a truly great summer tradition.

Make visits to East Kootenay farmers markets a summertime tradition. Here’s where you can find them.

• Invermere Farmers and Artists Market is in the traditional downtown location on Main Street (7th Ave) Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm
• Invermere’s Saturday Morning Market Place, a complement to the Invermere Farmers and Artists Market, can be found in front of the Legion building on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm
• Invermere also is the location of the Agri Park Farmers Market, run by the Windermere District Farmers institute (WDFI). You’ll find it open for business Wednesdays at the Crossroads where Hwy. 93/95 meets the road to Invermere. Drop in from 5 pm to  7:30 pm
• Radium Hot Springs has the traditional Market on Main each summer, which is combined with Music on Main, giving a festive air to the Visitor Centre location on Main Street West. Great Friday evening fun from Fridays from 4 pm to 9 pm
• Fairmont Hot Springs Farmers and Artisans Market is in the Fairmont Village Mall parking area. You can see it from the highway. Visit this market Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm

A pleasant drive north or south on Hwy. 93/95 will take you to several other weekly East Kootenay farmers markets:

• Golden Spirit Square Market on the north end of the Kicking Horse pedestrian bridge is a popular spot to be each Saturday from 10 am until 3 pm
• Golden Wednesday Farmers Market is at Hwy 95 and 5^th , (CP Rail parking lot) , Wednesdays from noon until 5 pm
• Kimberley Farmers Market is held on Howard St. between Kimberley and Deer Park Aves. Thursdays from 5 to 7:30 pm
• Cranbrook Spring Market at the Ktunaxa Gym (220 Cranbrook St. N) runs Saturdays in late winter and early spring starting at 1 pm
• Cranbrook Outdoor Farmers Market is on 10^th S. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm – website
• Fernie Mountain Market joins the city’s Canada Day celebration at the Fernie Aquatic Centre on July 1, then takes place on Sundays at Rotary Park, just off Hwy.#3, from 10 am to 2 pm
• Sparwood Farmers Market is located in Titan Park and is open every Friday afternoon from 4 pm to 7 pm.