‘A thank you to our community:’ Cedar Farmers Market celebrating 30 years

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Starting from humble beginnings, the market now welcomes tens of thousands of people every year to the former Woodbank Elementary School on Woobank Rd.

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Running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. between Mother’s Day and Halloween, stall space at the event is reserved months in advance.

A goal for Poirier and event organizers is to create a free space where people can come, mingle, and spend up to four hours connecting with community.

The opening market this year in May set a new all-time attendance record with just over 5,000 people showing up, Poirier said.

‘We really ensure the local goodness of the products that are there, and it’s really about celebrating coming together and acknowledging that we have so much talent in our area, and that our growing region in the valleys here on the Island are second to none.”

Crowds have been big most weekends this year, including a record 5,000 on the opening Mothers Day market. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

While Poirier admitted there are some “naysayers” when it comes to the traffic impacts caused by the weekly event, even the most ardent in opposition eventually understand the benefit.

She said they respond quickly to any complaints regarding traffic or other tangential impacts.

“Cedar really has a strong backbone of wanting to see people have good jobs, see the economic impact in their community, and I think for a lot of people, when they look at and see that traffic…they see the jobs, and then when they go on their own or with their families, they kind of get that feeling back of that community and that support for one another.”

More on the market, including Sunday’s expected lineup of vendors, is available on the Cedar Farmers Market website.

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