Ayr Farmers Market - Impact on Community Business

Ever wonder how our farmers market has impacted the businesses in and around the Ayr Ontario area? I was wondering the same thing!

The Ayr Farmers Market opened for its first season in May of 2022. We have had 3 full seasons since then. There have been so many unique and wonderful vendors over the years. Some vendors we have coming back year after year who have become really great friends. Other vendors pop in now and then. Each year there is a great mix of new and returning vendors. It is so much fun to meet so many talented and hard working people in our community! A lot of our vendors are local to Ayr Ontario, and some vendors have come from as far as Milton!

Farm and Food vendors have been fairly stable throughout the years. On average we have 19 vendors with varying food products, including fruits/vegetables, breads, meat, coffee, sauce, tea, jam, honey, baked goods etc.

In season 2, we had 59 unique artisan/small businesses attend the market! These vendors have an amazing array of items, some of which include: pottery, crochet, candles, crystals, books, art, jewelry, etc. A lot of these vendors spend countless hours perfecting their items after working full time elsewhere. Their passion for their craft is evident in their beautiful work! While these vendors don't carry the "staple" items that people are looking for each week, they are perfect for when you have an upcoming birthday, need a hostess gift, teacher gift, a little pick-me up etc and each week there are new vendors from the weeks before.

Since season 1, I've always known I wanted to offer 1-2 spaces per week free of charge for non profit organizations. These groups do a lot of work to better our community and it is important to them to meet with the community and establish strong connections. I'm so happy to be able to offer this way of support to non profits within our community!

We started inviting entertainers to the market in Season 2. This has been such a fun part of the market. We've had very generous sponsorship from local businesses for entertainers. Without them we would not have been able to have most of these entertainers at the market. I've also really enjoyed days when we have had music schools showcasing talented young performers, or even solo kid performers!

Food trucks have been a bit more of a challenge. Last year we were finally able to have 2 food trucks per week at the market.

The 2024 season will open Saturday May 31st. Some things will change this season, but a lot will remain the same. I am so excited to welcome back vendors and meet new friends! I hope our community will continue to come out and that community support will grow this season so the market can continue on and be a support and benefit to local businesses!