Our winter market applications are now available and applications are being accepted for our winter market, which runs the first Saturday of the month from November to April from 10-2 at River Market. Get your application in early to avoid being disappointed! We are looking for high quality vendors of all categories – prepared and fresh foods as well as artisan vendors. The increase in space at River market means we have more room to fit in a large selection of vendors. Plus, this year – no increased stall fees!

Please read through the Guidelines and Notes first. There are two versions of the application – one is form fillable and you can save it and then send it via email, or if you prefer snail mail, there is a printable version.

Big wheel keep on turnin’! [Turnin’!] Proud Mary keep on burnin’! [Burnin’!] Rollin’! Rollin’! Rollin’ on a river! 

Yes, this week we’re celebrating the wheeled things in our lives with a special market dedicated to the pedal powered, rollin’, spinnin’ wheels in our lives. Farmers and food producers see a lot of wheels as critical to their jobs: tractors, mills, spinning wheels… wheels are a natural part of food production. We thought we’d also celebrate other wheeled goodies – wagons, bikes, strollers, wheelchairs, scooters, and tricycles. Don’t miss the Kids’ (of all ages) Wheeled Parade at 6PM. Meet at the entrance to the walkway on Third Street, by the tennis club with your decorated and festooned wheeled transport. An RCFM representative will be there to line you up and get you going! Participants will parade along the walkway, into the market, and up to the northern grassy area, and receive fresh kettlecorn and fresh apple juice at the end of the parade.

As well, we’ll be hosting a few organizations and groups dedicated to bikes and other wheeled things. The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, an amazing two day bike ride through the Pacific Northwest, will be on hand to provide info about the 2012 Ride. The Tour de Coast team from Cops for Cancer, with representation from New Westminster police officers, will be there spinning, spinning, spinning, hoping to make their donation goal before they head out on the big ride to support pediatric cancers. We’re also excited that New West Cycle, long a supporter of the farmers market, will be there to offer guidance on how to do some basic bike maintenance on your steed, and Fraser River Bike Tours will be on hand to provide info about what sort of tours they offer. As well, the New Westminster chapter of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition will be available with info on bike routes and how to make cycling a larger part of your life.

Our musical guest this week is popular favourite Ron Ulrich. Our music at the market is sponsored by the great people at the Heritage Grill. Be sure to check out the kids area with crafts sponsored by local realtor Derrick Thornhill, and stop by to see our facepainter Allyson to get your arm or face painted. Stop by to see what the folks from the Royal City Gogos are working on. And don’t forget about the cookbook swap! It was so popular when we introduced it a few weeks ago, we’ve decided to include this as a regular fixture at all non rainy markets for the rest of the season. Look for it up at the info table and feel free to bring your unwanted cookbooks to swap for cookbooks from our stash. It’s a book for a book of approximate equal value, or you can buy a book for a minimum $2 donation.

You can reach the market via transit by taking the 106 bus or the Skytrain to Columbia Street Station and walking to the market at 4th and Royal. Parking is available in the neighbourhood for free along Royal Avenue, Queens Avenue, or at City Hall’s lot after 4:30. Please respect our neighbours. Cyclists can drop bikes off to the fine folks at our info desk at the top end of the market for safekeeping. Don’t forget to check out our cool new merchandise – we are now selling reusable produce bags made locally by the people at Carebags.

A list of all vendors attending the September 15th market is below, but remember to check back for cancellations and updates! This list is current as of September 13th.

Eat On Site

• Eli’s Serious Sausage – handmade pork sausages grilled to perfection
• Gogo Java – Coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, and other liquids
• Mollie’s Minis – delightful and yummy mini donuts and other treats
• Ovenmonkey Bakery – selling fresh Langos – Hungarian fried flatbread
• Rizalina’s Juice – fresh made juice to order
• Samosa Guy – hot vegetarian samosas and pakoras, as well as frozen take home samosas

Produce

• Apple Barn Pumpkin Farm – Peppers, tomatoes, apples & pumpkins
• Celyddon Farms – Certified organic produce from Delta
• Felix Farms – Guichon Farms – assorted locally grown produce by Fifth Generation Farmers in Delta
• Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm – organic produce, eggs, and beef
• Glen Valley Organic Farm – certified organic produce from a farm located only 50km from New Westminster
• Golden West Farms – Okanagan fruit grown in Summerland, many certified organic
• Maan Farms – assorted locally grown produce
• Nature Village Farm – Asian produce, potted herbs, and mushrooms grown in Richmond
• Red Barn Plants and Produce – assorted locally grown produce

Dairy

• Greendale Herb and Vine – Cheddar cheese, cheese curds, herbs, nut butters and honeycomb
• Little Qualicum Cheeseworks – High quality cheese from Vancouver Island

Meat & Fish

• Port Hardy Seafood – BC caught fish and prawns
• Rockweld Farm – BC frozen chicken and chicken products including eggs

Bread & Baking

• A Bread Affair – Breads
• Blackberry Hill – squares, cinnamon buns, and old fashioned yummies like crisp rice squares
• French Made Baking – French-from-France baking.
• Sunrise Pita Company – pitas, chips, dips, baklava and and banana bread
• Sweet Thea Cake Company – tarts, pies, cookies, and cakes

Delectable Treats and Prepared Yummies

• AJI Gourmet Products – sauces made using aji spice
• Gary’s Kettlecorn – Kettlecorn
• Gourmet Savories – antipasto and pesto
• Maples’ Sugar Shack – maple syrup products
• Take a Fancy Chocolates and Sweets – handmade chocolates right from scratch

Local Crafters

• Alma Valle Fine Silver Jewelry – handcrafted sterling silver original jewelry
• Ildiko Jewelry – hand forged sterling silver jewelry
• The Other Eden – cold process soaps scented with essential & fragrance oils, room sprays, body products

Gardening

• Agnes Warmerdam – daffodil bulbs
• i-Dig Gardening – soil amenders and compost additions

PS: You should know we don’t get compensated to mention Foodtree to you. We just think it’s fun and love looking at pictures of food. 🙂

We are very excited to announce that this year’s winter market will take place at River Market.We feel the vision of River Market complements what we do perfectly. The farmers’ market will be on the first Saturday of the month from 10-2 and we invite you to join us to celebrate local food and crafts in the beautiful setting of River Market. All of your favourite vendors plus room for some new faces!

We’ll be posting the vendor application in the next week or so, and we encourage everyone to mark their calendars for November 5, December 3, January 7, February 4, March 3, and April 7. We can’t wait to see everyone in this new setting.

Spread the word! RCFM Winter Market at River Market, first Saturday of the month, November to April!

(PS: Four more summer markets to go! Go sunshine, go!)

RCFM is having a special market next week to celebrate everything wheeled and self propelled! As a part of the celebration, we’re having an all-wheel parade at 6PM and invite all kids of all ages to decorate their wheeled transports (bikes, scooters, wagons, trikes, wheelchairs, strollers, you name it) and join us for a parade!

Parade goers will start at 6PM at the entrance to the walkway on 3^rd Street on the other side of Tipperary Park (an RCFM volunteer will be there to point the way) and participants will wheel through the park and into the market, head up the market and end in the grassy area above the market. Popcorn treats and apple juice provided after the parade. See below for a route map.

Also on hand will be local bike shop New West Cycle to give pointers on how to perform minor tuneups on your bike, The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer with info about the 2012 Ride and how to sign up, the New Westminster Chapter of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, as well as other businesses and groups promoting cycling. Check back for more details as they are finalized.

We hope you are able to join us at the Wheeled Market! Vendor lineup and other details to be posted as soon as they are confirmed. See you at the market!