PEI Farm Centre exterior

New Night Market Opening at Farm Centre

  • April 1, 2017

This summer will see a new farmers’ market opening at the Charlottetown Farm Centre (420 University Ave). It will differentiate itself from the growing number of markets in the city and beyond by operating as a night market. It will run every Thursday from 4pm to 8pm beginning June 15th.

The newly envisioned market will be run by the Farm Centre Association, a non-profit organization with a Board of Directors. Kelly Drake, the volunteer market organizer, and Phil Ferraro, manager of the Farm Centre, are overseeing the start-up phase.

The recruitment of farm vendors to the market is a key focus for Drake and Ferraro, who want to ensure the market is food-focussed. “We want to have at least fifty percent of the vendors be farmers,’ said Ferraro. Artisans, hot food vendors, and value-added food producers will round out the market’s vendors.

Drake said they plan to use the indoor and outdoor space at the Farm Centre to host the market during the summer months. There will be an indoor eating area for market-goers to sit and talented buskers will be invited to provide musical entertainment throughout the evening.

This new venture follows on the heels of a privately-run market that was piloted at the Farm Centre in 2016. The new night market has no affiliation with this previous entrepreneurial endeavour. Ferraro confirmed there will be no admission fee to the new market and that all products at the market will be grown or produced on-Island.

A first meeting in late February attracted several individuals interested in vending at the market. Another meeting will be held in late April or early May for those interested in becoming a vendor at the night market.

For more information on becoming a vendor, please contact Kelly Drake at 902-940-7667 or kellydrake97@gmail.com or Phil Ferraro at 902-368-2005 or phil@peifarmcentre.com.

About Shannon Courtney

Shannon is the co-founder of Salty and was its editor-in-chief for the publication's inaugural year. When she’s not writing about food, Shannon's either cooking, eating, talking, or thinking about it. Her food adventures have included milking a Jersey cow in Australia, almost overdosing on maple syrup in Prince Edward County, and studying local food systems in Vermont as part of her Master’s thesis research. Shannon is also a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and strongly believes you CAN make friends with salad.

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