If you ever thought Calgary was oversaturated with farmers’ markets, think again.
When the Calgary Farmers’ Market opened its long-awaited second location last week, in the city’s west end near Canada Olympic Park, there were 35,000 shoppers and gawkers who passed through its doors, a vendor told me… in one day!
Its high-ceilinged, 55,000-square-foot indoor building, and its some 75 vendors, seem capable of handling such mobs. I’m not so sure about the traffic.
When I visited on a glorious Friday morning, a week later, it was a game of musical cars, with multiple motorists waiting for someone to leave so they could park. The traffic spilled over from the paved lots to a gravel yard to the north.
It’s not like everyone was rushing to save money. I saw lots of meals, from the various food vendors costing $15-plus dollars. The produce and other foodstuffs are nice but not exactly cheap, for anyone expecting a rural, bare-bones experience.
But this is Calgary, where folks are accustomed to, and maybe even expect, upscale farmers’ markets. Indeed, it’s a pleasant place to shop, wander and meet with friends.
And the aisles are sufficiently wide to avoid the indoor traffic jams—known as stroller Fridays— that plagued previous incarnations of this market.
Calgary Farmers’ Market West
25 Greenbriar Drive NW, Calgary
Wednesday to Saturday 9 am-7 pm, Sunday 9 am-5 pm
Marathon Mouth 
Dear Mr. Mouth,
I live near sunny Beaver Mines AB … and have been “following” your excellent/fun/succinct posts ever since you reviewed Stella’s …
And so … after reading your “stroller Fridays” quip … I thought that you would enjoy this Farmer’s Market “cover art” that has been in my files since it first appeared, more than a decade ago. The title of the illustration, found just inside on the magazine’s Table of Contents, is just perfect … Small Grower …
Incidentally, the two long-term food trucks here in SW Alberta (The Rocky Mountain Gut Truck and … from the same good people … the Santeria Taco Truck) are about as good as that kind of food can get … all made-from-scratch (they even smoke their own local brisket) and money-no-object.
Definitely not inexpensive … but this is (still) Alberta … the land of the $12 cheeseburger … and where a modest boat-slip/mooring at the Waterton Marina is $750/month … 83.3% of my nearby home’s monthly rent) … and the place is still totally full!
Lots of people are feeling the financial pinch these days, but many (many) Albertans seem to be (still) just awash with money.
(I drive a 2006 Hyundai Tucson … which I adore … and my ex-wife gets half my teacher’s pension … and my big hamburger-treat is an always-decent Teenburger or two … but only when it’s on sale or I have a paper coupon from the Post Office! I don’t have a Smartphone so the A&W’s usual/wonderful app-promotions are not available to me.)
I know I know …. 😉”A real First-World Problem … “😉
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Thanks for the message, Ron. Will have to check out the food trucks in your neck of the woods
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Nice work Bill, Parking is very poorly organized and will Likely cause some fall off. Great to see you included a picture of Renay and her booth. Thanks for that. We are just going out for a Sunday roast. Have done lots of walking. Great to see the kids Love you M
Sent from my iPhone
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