Roland Berg will play at the first Market on Main on Saturday as he did on opening day last year. (Richard McGuire file photo)
This year’s Saturday Market on Main gets underway this weekend for its 12th season and runs to the end of September.
The popular market for locally grown agricultural products and locally made crafts is held at the Town Square park beside town hall.
This year there are a few changes, the main one being that the market starts an hour later at 9 a.m. and ends an hour later at 2 p.m.
There will also be new musical performers and new vendors, said Janis St. Louis, president of Market on Main.
This will be the second year in a row that the market started at the beginning of May. In previous years, they began with the May long weekend.
There will be live entertainment at every market and for this Saturday’s opening, the performer will be Osoyoos musician Roland Berg.
St. Louis said there are several reasons for the later hours.
Some of the vendors noticed there were still lots of people around eyeing merchandise and wanting to buy at closing time last year. On the other hand, activity was slow in the first hour before 9 a.m.
Also, with the addition of wine, beer, cider and spirits vendors, they are not legally able to offer samples until 9 a.m., but vendors must already be set up by the time the market opens.
Another difference this year is that July 1, Cherry Fiesta, falls on a Saturday. St. Louis said that after discussions with the Osoyoos Festival Society and vendors, a decision was made to move that weekend’s market to the Sunday.
This means, she said, that people spending the July long weekend in Osoyoos can spend Friday evening at Music in the Park, Saturday at Cherry Fiesta and then Sunday at the market.
Among the new performers this year at the market will be North of 60 from east of Osoyoos who will play May 27 and three other dates. Nice Verdes from the Kootenays will play July 22. Tim Bourchier is back for one show on July 8 while on a summer tour.
Local musician Kansas is back for a visit on the May long weekend. Peter Gajda has moved away, but will be back for three market dates, possibly with Kayla Dawn some of the time.
Chris Bromage (End of Empire), Rebel Luv, Lucy Blu, Peggy Kinsman, Up the Crick, August Accord and Loosely Tight are others expected to play.
Live entertainment is 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m.
A Wednesday market also runs during July and August from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and features live music.
Kara Burton, vendor co-ordinator, said some new vendors will be here this year including new bakers and craft beer and cider makers.
There are also some new people doing woodworking and other crafts.
In the early months of the market, crafts dominate until farm produce is ripe. Nonetheless, Burton said she expects one vendor to sell plant seedlings in May and June before the produce arrives.
St. Louis said she’s told that crops are a couple weeks behind this year due to the colder and later spring.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
