The St. Albert Chamber of Commerce is kicking off its 27th annual farmers’ market this Saturday with an all-day event that’s the first in a series of downtown summer events.
Billed as the official kick off to summer, the market opening will begin with a pancake breakfast and an official ribbon cutting at 9:45 a.m.
“We’re really encouraging people to park at St. Albert Centre and take the free park and ride. That way they don’t have to search for the very limited parking spaces downtown,” said chamber chair Joe Becigneul.
The day will include live music courtesy of the St. Albert Community Band and a pork lunch served up by St. Albert MP Brent Rathgeber. Children’s activities will include an inflatable play centre and a sidewalk art contest.
Held every Saturday until Sept. 26, the farmers’ market boasts 250 vendors and attracts approximately 15,000 people each week. The chamber believes the market is the largest in Western Canada.
With its Saturday opening, the chamber will try to incorporate areas of downtown that are normally excluded from the market, such as Perron Street. The chamber is encouraging businesses there to participate by holding sidewalk sales and will have buskers located throughout the area, Becigneul said.
His message is simple: “Get out and get downtown. Stay in St. Albert and shop.”
The summer kickoff will be the first in a series of planned summer events aimed at drawing more people downtown. Others will include a seniors’ day and a military tribute, Becigneul said. The chamber is trying to do more to promote the downtown area since it absorbed the Downtown Business Association last year.
“You’re starting to see the energy coming from that,” Becigneul said. “We have the ability to do more events in conjunction with our downtown businesses. This is one of those.”
