Penticton: The town so market-hungry it needs a pair of them, side-by-side, from spring through fall.
And as of Saturday, May 20, that's precisely what we'll get.
Today, the Downtown Penticton Business Improvement Association, the organizing body of the Downtown Community Market, the weekly happening than runs adjacent to the Penticton Farmers' Market in the 200 block of Main Street, Front Street and Backstreet Boulevard, announced it will officially open Saturday, May 20.
It will run 8:30 am to 1:30 pm every Saturday from that point on 'til its seasonal closure Sept. 9.
"The market is designed to bring together local vendors and community members for a day of shopping, entertainment, and connection," said today's media release. "It will feature a wide variety of vendors selling everything from handmade crafts, clothing and jewelry to unique specialty items."
But that doesn’t tell all the good news. According to DPBIA spokesperson Amber Bellcourt, the DPBIA has filled in excess of 75 vendor openings for 2023, making the market effectively full for the '23 season.
Moreover, newcomers will go on a waiting list. And if that waiting list gets long enough, the 300 block of Main will also open to the market -- as it was in pre-COVID days. The DPBIA hopes and believes that could happen as early as 2024.
Also packed for the year is the market's "Food Court" (essentially a food truck zone) on Backstreet Boulevard. Bellcourt says to expect a wide variety of ready-to-eat food from returning as well as new trucks.
And that’s not all. In 2023, there'll be live music every single week. For the May 20 grand opening, classic rockers Feet First will play the Market Stage on the corner of Main and Front Streets from 9:30 through 12:30.
There'll be an opening day ribbon-cutting ceremony too, though the timing has yet to be confirmed.
For more info on the Downtown Community Market, go here.
