WINDSOR, ONT. -- Farmers' markets across Windsor-Essex are set to return for the 2021 season, with Amherstburg’s opening at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
Safety plans are being finalized so other local markets can open for a second pandemic season, with strict restrictions in place due to Ontario’s current stay-at-home order.
“Last year when we opened for the season in May, it was under very similar conditions,” says Jen Desjardins-Grondin.
The market will be located at the GL Heritage Brewery located at 8728 Howard Ave. near ‘The Little White Church’ through October.
Desjardins-Grondin tells CTV News Windsor only essential item vendors are permitted at this time, and that all must go through a health screening before setting up their respective outdoor booths.
“It’s a great open-air experience. It’s very safe and it’s been welcomed by the community.”
Vendor products deemed essential include food and beverage, plants, personal care items like soaps and lotions, along with pet food and treats.
Customers are asked to wear a mask throughout the outdoor market and maintain physical distancing. Organizers also encourage just one shopper per household to attend, to assist with capacity concerns.
“We don’t think that we’ll get to the point that we’ll have to limit the access,” Desjardins-Grondin adds, “however it is our responsibility to make sure that we allow only the amount of people that can safely maintain distance.”
Organizers say last year’s market saw the number of vendors on site more than double, and that vendor sales tripled in many cases.
“Last year there was huge demand for the product that was here -- huge interest in the high-quality vendors that we have on site so there was a real push by both vendors and customers to open as early as possible. So we’ve been doing a lot of work over the last few months to make sure that we can do this safely, that the weather can accommodate and that the health unit approves.”
The market runs weekly from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
