The Gasoline Alley Farmers’ Market’s weekly outdoor market is going out with a bang this weekend.
The final outdoor market of the season is being held as part of a Summer Party from 1-4 p.m. in the parking lot of the building located at 558 Laura Ave. in Gasoline Alley. The free-to-attend event will feature a bouncy castle, live music, lawn games, a magician and a clown, as well as vendors of course.
“We’re kind of bringing the outdoors in and the indoors out with the outdoor market,” said Shauna Fisher, Gasoline Alley Farmers’ Market general manager.
“We always like to have our picnic tables outside and we did this to get everybody moving all around the market. Some people don’t realize we’re an all-year-round market with fruits and vegetables, so we brought in Taber corn, the B.C. fruit and Alberta berries – with that stuff the market kind of spills outside. It’s nice to open up all of the patio doors we have.”
It hasn’t been determined if the outdoor market will return next summer, Fisher added.
“I’m not sure what the future holds. It’s very possible we’ll do the outdoor market again,” she said.
The Gasoline Alley Farmers’ Market opened in November 2020. The market, which houses a number of vendors, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
“We opened up during COVID, so it was a little bit different – we were still under restrictions,” she said.
“Things are going really well. People are realizing the market is a genuine place where local farmers and local people are doing business.”
The market is beginning to do more events, such as family karaoke nights on the last Thursday of each month, Fisher noted.
“We’re just kind of starting our events that we’re doing. Going into the fall, we’ve got some different things planned to bring the community in,” she said.
For more information on the Gasoline Alley Farmers’ Market, visit www.gasolinealleymarket.ca.
For Central Albertans still looking to get to outdoor markets, the Red Deer Public Market runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in front of Servus Arena. That market runs until Thanksgiving long weekend.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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