A fixture of warm-weather fun in downtown Windsor returns next week, pandemic or not.
With farmers' markets considered an essential service, the Downtown Windsor Farmers' Market will kick off its new season on Saturday, May 1. The market, in its sixth season, will again be set up on Pelissier Street at Maiden Lane in the downtown core with 40 vendors."The rain-or-shine event is forecasted to not only be a welcome gateway to the spring and summer season, but also serves as a sign of hope and recovery,” said Market Manager Steve Green. “This means that vendors and entrepreneurs will have a space to work, while visitors and residents will again have access to locally grown, farm fresh products."
With last year's market operating under COVID-19 restrictions, Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA) chairman Brian Yeomans said this year's market will have even stricter guidelines in place to ensure the safety of vendors, participants, and customers.
"We’ve always said the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market is an integral part of the urban-farm linkage," said Yeomans in a media release. "We can establish and meet provincially-approved safety measures, while also ensuring that it’s an enjoyable, pleasurable experience, the way a farmers’ market should be."
Among the safety guidelines in place are a one-way traffic flow in each direction, physical distancing measures at entrance and exit points, and handwashing stations with hand sanitizer and portable toilets.
Patio services will be suspended until provincial guidelines allow for them to be reinstated, and features like the Chef's Table and Kids' Corner will move to virtual only.
Complete information on the farmers' market can be found on its official website.
Meanwhile, the farmers' market in Amherstburg starts its new season on Saturday. It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at GL Brewery on Howard Avenue.