New Westminster Family Place will be on hand at our opening market with toys and crafts made from recycled products for kids 0-6 years of age. NWFP is a staple in our community, offering drop in, special programs, and social time for parents and kids.
The second incarnation of the Royal City Farmers’ Market will kick off June 25th with a special “Welcome to Summer Vacation” market, featuring kids’ activities including toys and crafts, a magician, face painting, and a special appearance by Mayor Wayne Wright who will start the market season off with a bang!
We’ve asked the Seymour Artillery Society to come on board and do it up right! The Artillery Society will be providing us with authentic uniform-wearing military men from the original militia here in New Westminster, and a small 25 pound cannon, which the mayor will fire.
The market had its first year last year after a 25 year hiatus in New Westminster and it was so successful that registered vendors for this year have almost doubled. Farmers’ markets are an essential part of your local economy and by shopping at the market, you are supporting the “little guys” and you know you are getting fresh goods. You’ll also reduce your carbon footprint by buying goods produced / grown / made here in BC (most are from the Lower Mainland). We have over 35 vendors offering locally grown fresh produce, home-baked goods and handmade crafts.
Aside from the shopping, the Royal City Farmers’ Market encourages you to bring a blanket and hang out in the park. The market isn’t just about shopping, it’s also a great place to meet up and socialize with your friends and family. What better way to spend a summer night?
The market runs June 25 to October 8 and is on Thursdays from 3-7pm in Tipperary Park, which has got to be one of the nicest urban parks around.
The Seymour Artillery Society will be helping us get our market started right, by escorting Mayor Wayne Wright through the market in his official Chain of Office. At the north end of the market, a waiting cannon will be blown off to signal the start of another amazing season.
You don’t want to miss this!
It doesn’t just feel good to buy local – new research shows that there are demonstrable economic boosts for communities as a result. Time Magazine explains:
The New Economics Foundation, an independent economic think tank based in London, compared what happens when people buy produce at a supermarket vs. a local farmer’s market or community supported agriculture (CSA) program and found that twice the money stayed in the community when folks bought locally. “That means those purchases are twice as efficient in terms of keeping the local economy alive.”
– Time Magazine | Buying Local: How It Boosts the Economy
Other benefits of buying local mentioned in the Time article:
Each month the market is on, we’re holding a photo contest for images of the Farmers Market. Simply email us your photo, or tag your picture on Flickr with the tag RCFM2009, and the board will vote on a winner – the lucky winner gets a Royal City Farmers Market T shirt and window cling! Woo!
We’d like to be able to use all entries on our website (with appropriate photo credit, of course) and we’d really like to be able to some of the images on future publications, so make sure your permissions are set to your liking when you upload the photo if you don’t want us to use them.
