Downtown Windsor Farmers' Market draws loyal customers on first day

Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market draws loyal customers on first day

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The Downtown Farmers Market drew a loyal crowd on its first day Saturday, defying the rain to wander among the vendors in tents and food booths on Pelissier Street.

“The Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market sure has loyal customers,” said Steve Green, general manager of the market. “Even though it was a little spitting rain out here, we’ve had a good crowd.

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“The opening day always marks a special time in the year for us. We’re all one big family down here and we really enjoy getting everyone back together in downtown Windsor for the fresh food.”

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Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market draws loyal customers on first day — Bill Arbour, of Stone Turtle Studio in Chatham, shines a UV light on the mineral hackmanite, gathered from the French River, at The Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market on Saturday, March 30, 2024. Photo by Brian MacLeod /Windsor Star

About 65 vendors set up on Pelissier between Wyandotte and Park to market specialty foods, arts and crafts.

And while the market sits deep in the heart of downtown Windsor, many of those who attend are from outside the area, said Green

“We find that half of the people that come down to the market are residents of downtown and they walk down here, and about half of our crowd comes in from the county,” he said. “We are really surprised when we looked at the data that we really draw a lot of people from the county as well.

“I think that one of the reasons is there’s such a diversity in what we offer down here. We have the farmers that come in, which is a key anchor part of the market, but we also have a great ethnic selection of foods. We’ve got a wide diversity in the crafters that come down here.

The eclectic mix of food and crafts means there’s always something of interest for visitors, he said.

“I always tell people only bring the amount of money you want to spend and if you have no self-control leave your debit card at home because there’s lots that you want.”

The farmers market actually grew during the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Organizers managed to adhere to restrictions and remain open.

“We really saw a surge during the pandemic. We really built our customer base and our crowd.”

The market is continuing its Good Greens Program, this year. Food that isn’t purchased is bought by the market and given to the Downtown Mission and other organizations.

The market runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. until the end of October.