{"id":52525,"date":"2024-10-25T13:21:08","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T16:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/?p=52525"},"modified":"2024-10-25T13:21:12","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T16:21:12","slug":"sackville-farmers-market-considers-downtown-and-uptown-options-for-winter-location","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/sackville-farmers-market-considers-downtown-and-uptown-options-for-winter-location\/","title":{"rendered":"Sackville Farmers Market considers downtown and uptown options for winter location"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Sackville Farmers Market board chair Anthony Maddalena behind the bar at Bagtown Brewing. Photo: Erica Butler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s almost time for the Sackville Farmers Market to move out of Bill Johnstone Park and on to its winter location. But this year the move is slightly delayed as the market board considers two potential locations: the Sackville Commons on Lorne Street where the market has spent winters since 2021<\/a>, and the Sackville Visitor Information Centre on Mallard Drive, outside of the market\u2019s usual downtown territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery year we have to move from our summer home,\u201d says Anthony Maddalena, owner of Bagtown Brewing and chair of the board with the Sackville Farmers Market. \u201cThis year we’re just exploring if there’s any other options\u2026 We’re getting information from both the Commons and the town and looking those two different sets of information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maddalena says the market board will also consider feedback gathered in vendor and customer surveys distributed at the market on October 19. \u201cEveryone’s got some varying opinions and different perspectives,\u201d says Maddalena. \u201cSome vendors look to draw in a completely different type of clientele than some other vendors, right? Whether it’s students or folks who are just visiting Sackville or the local community that’s here year round.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always trying to take into consideration what’s the best move for our vendors, and then, obviously, for the community that we serve,\u201d says Maddalena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A location committee with the market board of directors has been working for years exploring options for both a permanent market location and seasonal winter locations. \u201cThere’s not a whole lot of options in town,\u201d says Maddalena. \u201cThe committee has explored everything from the train station, to going back to places where we used to be, like behind the Painted Pony, things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maddalena says as part of the ongoing relationship with the town, the Visitor Information Centre was suggested as a potential winter location. But \u201cwe’re still considering staying at the Commons because, you know, we’ve been there for the last few years, and, we sort of know how things work there,\u201d says Maddalena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The possible location in the Visitor Information Centre would be a departure for the market, which has lobbied for many years for a permanent location in Sackville\u2019s downtown area. Former market chair Kent Coates told Tantramar council in February 2023 that a downtown location was an important criteria for the board though he also said the market could \u201cmake most things work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Market renews plea for support in securing permanent location, ideally in downtown Sackville<\/a><\/blockquote>