It was a special day at the Servus Sports Centre as the Border City Farmers Market and its vendors celebrated 50 years in the community.
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The June 12 event featured the organization’s dedicated vendors, bouncy houses and face painting for the kids, a charity barbecue in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters and live entertainment by The Prairie Dogs.
The Praire Dogs play their hearts out during the Border City Farmers Market 50-year celebration.
Taylor Weaver – Meridian Source
Border City Farmers Market president Alice Pattison explained the market started as tents in the mall parking lot, before moving indoors to the Wildrose Pavilion (now Nissan Hall). It eventually found a permanent home in the main concourse of the Servus Sports Centre and has been there ever since.
The market runs every Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. year-round and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. October through April.
“We have everything from birdhouses and baking to weighted blankets, Tupperware and Scentsy. It’s a little bit of everything and everyone puts their heart and soul into whatever they’re doing. They have a lot of pride in their work,” said Pattison, noting the market averages 20 vendors each Thursday.
“They come from all around. Most are local, but we have one from Viking and one from Irma.”
Vendor Alan Anderson, who’s now a regular while enjoying retirement, specializes in high-quality wood products and has penned several books he encourages customers to read.
“I’ve been a vendor here for about eight years and my favourite part is the vendors,” he said. “This is a community, and we help each other. A close second to the vendors is talking to the people that walk by. We talk about wood, writing, anything really.”
Prairie Palette’s Lynn Lakusta started vending last spring and loves setting her table up each week.
“Meeting the people that come into the market is my favourite part; it’s wonderful,” she said. “We like to interact with them; show them all the special things we have to sell and serve them with.”
For Pattison, the market is all about supporting local.
“It’s too bad more people don’t come down and check it out regularly. We have a lot of unique stuff here and it’s great we’re inside.”
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