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INDOOR FARMERS’ MARKET: Local produce and art lovers, rejoice!
Some outside-the-box-thinking folks have come up with a plan to have a farmers’ market continue to run past the usual Thanksgiving closure of the much-loved Whistler Farmers’ Market in the Upper Village. Every Sunday from Oct. 26 to Nov. 30, a new Winter Farmers’ Market will run at an indoor venue from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to support the community’s desire for local products and produce. Although the new market is not directly connected with the original Whistler Farmers’ Market, an indoor venue is something vendors from the original market have been searching for, so expect to see many familiar vendors there.
“I would like to see more and more community leaders embrace these opportunities and support these types of food-related economic development measures,” said Caterina Alberti, the main organizer of the vendors. “The Whistler Farmers’ Market held in the Upper Village during the summer, along picturesque pathways, offer local residents, senior citizens, families, vacationers and restaurant institutional buyers fresh food, a social meeting place and a strong link to regional agricultural heritage.
“The Winter Market will include everything from storage crops, root vegetables, late season fruits, locally prepared foods such as Shireen’s Artisan breads, also arts and crafts,” she said. “Now you can shop indoors, have access to the best locally available products and eat fresh in winter.”
And organizers have found an ideal venue for the pilot project.
The new Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre across from the Four Seasons and Fairmont hotels will host the weekly market in its beautiful Istken Hall, a circular room with nine-foot high, glass-sided walls and a 15-foot peaked roof with stunning views of the forest and surrounding mountains.
“It’s a beautiful space for an indoor market,” said artisan Shireen Sumariwalla. “This is a great opportunity to maintain a marketplace for locally grown and prepared foods. I look forward to seeing all the loyal customers that came week after week during the summer months to support the growing local food movement.”
Visitors to the Winter Farmers’ Market should use the Lorimer Road entrance to the building, which is just a short walk from parking lots 4 and 5.
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SONGS IN THE KEY OF EEEK! After you hit the new Winter Farmers’ Market on Sunday and sample some local food and art, make sure you head to Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church on Sunday (Oct. 26) at 7 p.m. to sample some local talent. The Whistler Children's Chorus will perform a special Halloween concert called Songs in the Key of Eeek! Every singer in the 60-member children’s choir will be in costume for the concert, and audience members are encouraged to show up in a costume as well. Best of all, it’s a free concert!
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ARTISTS’ MEETING REMINDER: It was mentioned last week, but in case a dog ate your paper or something, the Whistler Arts Council is hosting a meeting tonight (Oct. 23) from 5 to 7 p.m. at Alta Lake Station House for local artists interested in discussing and planning for the future of arts in the corridor. Beer, wine and soft drinks will be available “by donation.” For more info on the meeting contact WAC at (604) 938-9221.
