CFN – No this is not Long Sault or Cornwall but the grand daddy of all markets, St. Jacobs.
I just happened to be away this past weekend on a family event in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and we had time to drop in on Canada’s largest year round Farmers Market. I saw aisle upon aisle of fresh produce from across Ontario and from local farm gardens and meats, cheese, baking, crafts, home decor, furniture, clothes, tools and more. There were according to the literature six hundred of vendors, although I didn’t count them all. Not even included in the vendor count were all the buskers that are there every week. It was incredible.
I only had about two hours before I had to leave and attend my godson’s wedding and I tried to take as many pictures as I could. It’s hard to get the scope of this market with just pictures and, to be honest, I think I only saw a fraction of it.
I took the following three pictures from the same spot, just turning in different directions.
The video below is just one example of the buskers that are spread throughout the market. In this case they were playing beside a vendor selling fresh Ontario peaches.
Of course it just wouldn’t be St. Jacobs if you didn’t have a horse drawn wagon.
I don’t really think that we can compare our markets to St. Jacobs but if we put our heads together with a common goal you never know what we could achieve.
It is reported today that a fire has gutted the main building at the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market. This is a huge loss for the famous farmer’s market but I’m sure the Mennonite community and the local municipal government will soon have it rebuilt.