Top 10 Vancouver Island & Gulf Island Markets

	Hierloom Tomatoes at the Salt Spring Island Market 1

Here are WorldWeb.com’s top 10 markets that offer a taste of island life.

Season: First Saturday in April until the last Saturday in October
Open: Saturday 8am to 4pm
In order to sell at the Salt Spring Island Market, vendors must make it, bake it, or grow it themselves, resulting in refined, inspired and quality items from more than 140 artisans. Organic vegetables, like ruby red beets, glisten like jewels in hand-woven baskets, hand-thrown pottery reflects the island’s earth, and the cheese stands alone as possibly the best ever sampled. From jewellers to fibre artists, farmers to woodworkers, this market sets a high standard for what markets can be. The market takes place in Ganges, which can be reached via ferry from the Crofton terminal near Duncan or the Swartz Bay Terminal in Sidney (near Victoria).

COOMBS OLD COUNTRY MARKET

Season: Year round
Open: Daily 9am to 6pm
Coombs Old Country Market is also known as the market with the goats on the roof. And indeed, there are goats that live all summer on the grassed roof, catching the attention of passers-by, posing for pictures and eating the odd ice-cream cone in the process. In operation since 1973, the market is committed to sourcing fresh produce, like radishes and onions that have been lovingly grown by the same couple for over 20 years.

Organically Grown Plants at the James Bay Market, Victoria2

The market has expanded over the years too, and features an international deli, a scratch bakery and garden centre. Don’t miss their gift shop, which is like visiting an exotic bazaar, stocked with items sourced by the owner on his international travels to such far flung locales as India, Mexico and the Philippines.

The market, located in Coombs, is 37 km (23 mi) northwest of Nanaimo, and minutes from Parksville of Highway 4A en route to Port Alberni.

ERRINGTON FARMERS’ MARKET

Season: May to September
Open: 10am to 1pm
The Errington Farmers’ Market has had a solid community tradition that also began in 1973, located 6 km (4 mi) southwest of Parksville. There’s a natural, mystical atmosphere at this market, situated amongst the woods with stalls sheltered by trees. Music dances through the air, reverberating from the elegant band shell structure, and the smell of fresh cut flowers and baked goods floats on the gentle breezes. Locally produced eggs and crafted gifts (from stained glass to homemade soaps) round out the experience. Good for families, there are child-specific activities while parents can shop and visit with locals to get a good sense of island spirit.

VICTORIA’S GOVERNMENT STREET MARKET

Season: Summer
Open: Sundays and Holiday Mondays from 11am to 4:30pm
The Government Street Market is primarily an arts and crafts market, selling quality wares of local crafts people. Being a street market, this section of Government and Pandora is cordoned off and pedestrians can wander freely from stall to stall, perusing finely crafted pottery, original silk-screened clothing, tailor-made sun dresses, Celtic jewellery, local preserves, knitted children’s clothes and more from original vendors. The market is situated just outside of Chinatown with its sidewalk sales and infamous Fan Tan Alley, leading to Bastion Market Square that also features a small market on the weekends.

VICTORIA’S MOSS STREET MARKET

	Vendor Tents at Moss Street Market3

Season: May to October
Open: Saturdays 10am to 2pm
Like the Salt Spring Island Market, vendors have to bake it, make it or grow it in order to be a part of Moss Street Market, held a short distance from trendy Cook Street Village. This market is an event complete with a central music tent, seating and room for random children in superhero or princess capes to dance up a storm.

Nosh on samosas, burritos, Jamaican patties and kiwi freezies while cruising the market for handmade baby slings, homemade fruit pies and silk-screened t-shirts. Soaps, jewellery and produce from local farmers are also found here as a reflection of the abundant creativity Vancouver Island affords. In mid-July, the market hosts the renowned Moss Street Paint In, which features several city blocks of artists at work and selling their creations.

PENINSULA COUNTRY MARKET

Season: June to September
Open: 9am to 1pm
Since 1991, the Peninsula Country Market features a bounty of seasonal fruits and vegetables: plump blackberries bulge from baskets, freshly baked breads are still warm from the oven, and carrots show off their array of colours beyond orange. Located in Central Saanich at the Saanich Fairgrounds, the market embraces an earthy and holistic environment with a setting overlooked by large Douglas fir trees. It’s an environment that is made for families, with live music, food stalls, a petting zoo and kid’s korral.

COMOX VALLEY COMMUNITY MARKET

Season: End of May until beginning of September
Open: 9:30am to 3:30pm
Held on a field of green in Courtenay, the Comox Valley Community Market is located at Simms Millennium Park. Perhaps one the island’s most scenically located markets, it enjoys a setting that also features trails meandering through parkland and trees. The vendor village is easy to spot with a protrusion of white tents, each one selling something unique, grown or handcrafted. This market has a positive new age element that Vancouver Island is known for, expressed through some of its vendor items that include self-help counselling, Native American peace flutes, homeopathic remedies, chair massage, fabrics from India and handmade yoga bags.

SIDNEY SUMMER MARKET

Season: June to the end of August
Open: Thursdays 5:30pm to 9pm
One of Vancouver Island’s most popular markets, the Sidney Summer Market is gigantic featuring over 200 vendors. Some of the island’s best-known sellers come here every Thursday evening to sell things like spices, jams, fresh cut flowers, antiques, collectibles, preserves, baked goods, arts and crafts and produce. It is considered a destination market because not only do many of the vendors make a special trip to be here, but so do the buyers. Nearly 5,000 people are choc-a-block at this indoor-outdoor market that spans several blocks. The market buzz is complemented by music and the wafting sea breeze carrying smells from food stalls. Visitors often make an afternoon out of it, taking time to dine in one of Sidney’s restaurants or stroll along the Harbourside Walkway.

Live Music at James Bay Market4

JAMES BAY MARKET

Season: May to October
Open: Saturday 9am to 3pm
Located behind the British Columbia Legislature, this market is convenient for tourists situated just out of the downtown core in the neighbourhood of James Bay. It’s a cool way to spend lunch under the shade of a tree or at a bistro table with an umbrella while enjoying a samosa, hot dog, curry, baked goods and fresh organic coffee. Live blues, folk and bluegrass music saturates the airspace from under a central tent. From organic plants, to knitted slippers, tie-dye t-shirts to homemade preserves, this market has a down-home countrified vibe in the heart of the city.

NANAIMO DOWNTOWN FARMERS’ MARKET

Season: Spring to Thanksgiving
Open: Friday 10am to 2pm
A popular tourist destination, Nanaimo has its own market that is young by Vancouver Island’s standards, in operation for just over a decade. Its historical elements come through its location beside the Bastion on the Pioneer Waterfront Plaza. Views of the ocean and harbour form a scenic backdrop for some 50 vendor stalls purveying organic produce, dairy and eggs, baked goods and jewellery. Artisans and crafts people display items for gardens and homes. Holistic practitioners find their way here too, offering chair massages and an array of products for the body, mind and soul. It is all found in downtown Nanaimo, surrounded by restaurants, cafes and shops.

PHOTO COURTESY

1. c/o Photos.com, Heirloom Tomatoes at the Salt Spring Island Market, Ganges, BC, Canada
2. c/o Wendi Seskus-James, Organically Grown Plants at the James Bay Market, Victoria, BC, Canada
3. c/o Wendi Seskus-James, Vendor Tents at Moss Street Market, Victoria, BC, Canada
4. c/o Wendi Seskus-James, Live Music at James Bay Market, Victoria, BC, Canada