Edmonton seems to be a bit Farmers Market crazy these days, with seemingly every neighbourhood having it’s own market. Though until recently, there were no markets on Sundays that I was aware of.
That all changed in the last few weeks, as 3 brand new markets have opened up for Sunday business. This is good news for me, as my wife and I tend to have more time for browsing and meandering on Sundays than we do on Saturdays.
I decided to check out all 3 of them on the same day, so here’s a brief summary of our market crawl.
Eden Market on 124st.
124 st at 106 avenue. Hours 10am-3pm.
This market is in a small parking lot in a really vibrant area of town. I don’t just say that because it also happens to be my area of town either. 124st already has my second favourite market (124st Market on Thursdays 4-8 pm), and a whole bunch of new upscale restaurants, not to mention the stellar Duchess Bake Shop and Provisions.
When we arrived there was a lively atmosphere, and plenty of foot traffic already swarming the market which contained a fruit stand, beef jerky, and even face painting. There’s even a couple food trucks to keep you satiated.
Check out the pictures below.
The Eden Market is definitely a nice, little market, and a great way to enjoy an hour or 2 on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I’ll be back.
Edmonton Petroleum Club Market
At the Edmonton Petroleum Club (11110 108 st.). Hours 10am-2pm.
Of the 3 markets we visited, this one was the only letdown. The sparse amount of stalls spread over a wide open space made it feel like a ghost town. Of the approximately 10 stalls, one belonged to a health club, one promoting nearby Kingsway mall, and another was basically a pup-tent full of corn.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t go to a farmers market for gym memberships or mall maps.
When I checked the website that morning, there was an interesting list of vendors, but clearly a lot of them were not there there when we went. The vendors that did show up were so spread out that it looked kind of awkward and doesn’t catch your eye from the street. Another issue is that the parking lot is surrounded by busy streets (with little foot traffic) but there is limited access to the lot, itself.
Maybe had the market been packed with people it would have looked better but, as it was, it had none of the vibrancy and energy that a good farmer’s market has. Despite there being a few good vendors there, I don’t think I’ll give this one another shot.
The last of the 3 markets I tried out was…
French Quarter Farmers Market
On the campus of La Cite Francophone, 8621- 91st. Edmonton. Sundays, noon-5pm.
This market in the always interesting neighbourhood of Bonnie Doon is by far my favourite of the 3 Sunday markets. There is so much to love about this market, and it starts for me with it’s commitment to being a food market only.
There are plenty of other markets to go to buy grandma some doilies, or pick up a new walking stick for granddad, but this market has focused exclusively on purveyors of tasty treats. And I couldn’t be happier about that.
There is a good variety of vendors here, and they have live music, a brand new food truck called The Crooked Fork, and without a doubt is the most picturesque market in town.
On top of the vendors selling prepared foods and raw ingredients, Chef Elaine Wilson of Food You Can Cook offers cooking classes at 12:30 and 2:30. The cost? A paltry $20 per person. Reserve a spot online or drop-in after your shopping if there are seats left.
Elaine Wilson- Don’t worry, she’s not really crazy.
Yep, I really liked the French Quarters’ market, too 🙂 Need to go back next Sunday!
For your information The Callingwood Farmers Market is on Sundays and has been for over 25 years. They have over 100 vendors.Also many of the markets that are opening are not approved Farmer’s Markets.
Helpful summary – thanks! Maybe the Petro club will be busier on their brunch Sundays – they do have an awesome new chef….
I’ve been thinking about giving the brunch a go, but honestly, I’m not sure that location for a market will work. Time will tell I guess.
You are also unaware of the new market at Century Park that operates on Sunday as well.