With market season just two weeks away, operator Patrick Moffat is looking forward to greeting a wider array of vendors at the Red Deer Polytechnic location.
Some craft brewers and distillers from as far as Manitoba are expected to set up booths at the Red Deer Public Market, which opens its 54th season in May 18, running from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Moffat said he's also been fielding inquires from B.C. and Saskatchewan entrepreneurs, who want to occasionally setting up shop at the Red Deer market. Most of these people have relatives in the area and are interested in adding a business reason for their trip to central Alberta, he added.
Their products will join the diversity of arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, food and produce, furniture, antiques and garden items at the public market. This unique mixture of merchandise, as well as musical entertanment from buskers, have been drawing central Albertans since Patrick's parents, Barb and Dennis Moffat, first started the outdoor attraction in 1970.
The popular market has survived ups and downs in the economy and many vendor changes over the years — as well as pandemic restrictions, and a couple of moves.
Moffat said, "We had a really wonderful start" last year at RDP — despite initial nervousness at having to relocate. When the market was asked to leave the Servus Arena parking lot, where it had operated for half a century, due to objections from the curling club, "we were unsure, a little afraid at first," he admitted.
"But what happened was just shy of perfect," he added.
Despite last summer's recurring health warnings about wildfire smoke, market crowds were great — Moffat estimated 8,000 to 12,000 people perused outdoor booths most sunny Saturdays (and somewhat less on a few bad weather days).
He credits the West Park neighbourhood for really embraced the market, and staff at the Polytechnic for doing whatever it takes to make the new site work. While the new location has plenty of free parking, he heard some Red Deerians have enjoyed using trail connections to bike or hike there.
Vendor numbers averaged 122 sellers last summer — which Moffat said was a 12 to 15 per cent increase from when things bottomed out during the pandemic. While that's still fewer than during the market's heyday, when sellers ranged from 200 to 320, Moffat expects the vendor list to grow further this summer.
He's hoping for good weather on opening day on the May long weekend, but noted the market will run rain or shine every Saturday until Thanksgiving. Dogs are not permitted for health and safety reasons, so market-goers are asked to leave their pets at home.