Vernon Farmers Market launching Saturday market this weekend

The Vernon Farmers Market is officially launching a Saturday market – in a new location off city property.

A few months after the VFM told Castanet it was looking for new locations amid rising city costs, the market has found a new location for a brand new day. The traditional Monday and Thursday markets will still be held at Kal Tire Place.

Laurel Fredin is on the farmers market board and sells as a vendor. She said new Saturday markets will be held at the Kal Tire administration building at 1540 Kalamalka Rd., by BNA Brewing.

“[Kal Tire is] not charging us,” said Fredin. “The drop in cost for vendors is a lot lower than our regular Monday and Thursday, because we don’t have to pay the crazy parking lot fees that the city charges us.”

Fredin says the non-profit still has costs to put on markets, like renting washrooms and paying staff, but the reduction in fees is a big help to reducing costs for vendors.

The Saturday markets kick off on June 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The current plan is to run markets every Saturday until Sept. 27.

Fredin said the board decided to launch “Satellite Markets” on Saturdays so that people who work Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. can attend.

“We hear from a lot of people all the time that they would love a weekend market. So I’m hopeful that this is well supported, and that people show up,” said Fredin.

Nearby areas like Kelowna and Armstrong have their own well-established markets, and Fredin is hoping people will be willing to support the Saturday market here.