Surrey Urban Farmers Market opened June 15 with one big change for the summer season ahead. This year, vendors will set up every second Saturday (bi-weekly) at Royal Kwantlen Park from 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m., in a move from weekly operation.
"We'll try it and see how it goes," said Anna Hall, who co-manages the market with Beth Colborne, maker of Radiance Soaps. Showcasing local farmers, food producers, artisans, crafters and community groups, the market first set up at Royal Kwantlen Park (104 Avenue at Old Yale Road) three years ago after moving around North Surrey over the past decade. "I'd say there have been some growing pains," Colborne conceded.
"We're not very visible to the main traffic there, which would be helpful, but we are a growing little farmers' market, slowly getting bigger and bigger. A lot of people don't know we exist, and we're working on that." The next market is planned June 29, with eight more to follow on July 6, July 20, Aug.
3, Aug. 17, Aug. 31, Sept.
14, Sept. 28 and Oct.5.
The market has an annual impact of $490,000 on the local economy, according to a 2023 study conducted by BC Association of Farmers' Markets, with annual direct sales of $327,000. The average shopper at the market spends about $33.29 per visit, with more than 13,000 visits and 9,800 shoppers annually, the study found.
Also of note, 38 per cent of survey respondents visit the Surrey market either regularly ("almost weekly") or frequently ("2-3 times per month"), according to the 25-pa.
