The City of Welland is looking forward to bringing the Saturday morning Farmers’ Market back to shoppers beginning July 11, 2020. The Welland Farmers’ Market, located at Market Square, 70 Young St., Welland, was closed on March 13, 2020, due to COVID-19 and emergency orders under the Government of Ontario. Now that Niagara is currently operating in stage-two of the three-phased Framework to Re-open the Province, The Welland Farmers’ Market is preparing a soft-opening to bring shoppers back to the 113-year-old Saturday morning tradition.

Managed with strict protocols to minimize the spread of COVID-19, the Welland Farmers’ Market will initially offer a small group of vendors this Saturday and grow accordingly throughout the summer. Vendors will sell between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. at designated stalls, located in the courtyard between the Market Square buildings. Patrons will enter on the east side of the market. City staff will be present to monitor and manage the number of customers entering the market. Staff will encourage people to wear face coverings for public safety measures and will offer hand sanitizer.

“We’re happy to bring the market back to residents,” said Richard Dalton, Manager of Recreation and Culture. “The Saturday morning market is a tradition that has brought fresh food to our tables for many generations.”

The Welland Farmers’ Market is a community space that encourages patrons to support a buy local philosophy and experience multi-culturalism. The Welland Farmers’ Market Committee strives to raise community awareness about the benefits of eating healthy and the importance of supporting a sustainable agricultural community.

For more information on the Welland Farmers’ Market, visit welland.ca.