Ladner Village, specifically 48th Avenue, will come alive once again this Sunday as the 22nd season of the Ladner Village Market comes to a successful conclusion.
The market, which features more than 160 artisan vendors from around the province, runs rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday’s featured entertainment will be provided by the Hell’s Gate Blues Band.
With an emphasis on make it, bake it or grow it, the market allows everyone to meet the individuals who create the products.
Market coordinator Tracey McKnight said this year’s season has been a huge success.
“The weather has cooperated again. We had an exciting year where we welcomed more than 40 more vendors to enjoy our beautiful area,” McKnight said. “We had quite a few new local vendors as well as vendors from Saltspring Island, Vancouver Island, Kelowna as well as Fort St. John.”
McKnight said over the years the market has developed a reputation for being a friendly, inviting and well organized place that is open to vendors of all shapes and sizes.
“It’s a real commitment for our vendors, but they love our cheery atmosphere,” she said. “Many of these vendors go to many different markets throughout the summer, but they love the helpfulness of our volunteers and staff. They love the outstanding quality of the products that are being shown. We greet them in the morning and try to make this a unique experience for them. They like the organization of the market.”
So how does the market continue to be such a success? McKnight attributes part of that to the organization, the staff and volunteers.
“We work hard in that after every market we have a debriefing. What worked, what went wrong, what can we improve? We want to keep getting better every time,” she said. “The volunteers that we have that have been with us for years that help with our parking, traffic, and set-up are wonderful.”
Another key factor is the Ladner Village businesses that also open up on market Sundays which adds to the experience for shoppers.
“Everyone works so well together. We have become a destination for many people,” she said. “They like the atmosphere of the market. We do hear the feedback from the village businesses as well as other Ladner businesses that they do see more traffic on market Sundays, so it has other positive spin-offs as well.”
When asked about the longevity of the market, McKnight said they could never have dreamed how successful it has become.
“Originally it was started by two people, one was a business person within Ladner who wanted an English-style market,” she said. “After a couple of years the merchants on the street took it on and let’s have a street sale. Then our vendors said we want to be there. Over the years the vendors have just kept coming. Our wait list is at least 30 this year. We are still learning and there are always areas to improve. It’s been a great season.”
