DESIRÉE DECOSTE

STAFF WRITER

Weekend commercial activity in the heart of Wellington has returned by way of a new market on the grounds of the Wellington United Church.

The Wellington Community Market, which has a volunteer board of five members, started this market to help provide business space for upcoming entrepreneurs. The market opened its selling season with a ribbon cutting ceremony earlier this month.

“The purpose of the market is to not only provide a business space for people to practice being an entrepreneur,” stated Louise McFaul to The Gazette. “It gives them a chance to dabble in it without having to put out so much money in a brick and mortar store but then all the money we get goes into marketing and promoting the market and then with extra funds at the end of the year we disperse back into the community. So were able to have a big impact not only on a Saturday but throughout the year.”

The goal of the market is to be a food forward market and will take place every Sat. from 9-1 p.m. in the Wellington United Church parking lot and will close after Thanksgiving weekend in Oct.

“I have been to markets here before,” Helen of Pour Over Co. said. “Lemonade Dave is my husband and we have the two businesses. In the past he has pivoted in the shoulder season and done coffee when it was to cold for lemonade at each end of the season but this year were running the two together.”

Lemonade Dave is one of several local businesses participating in the Wellington Community Market. (Desirée Decoste/Picton Gazette)

A wide variety of food and artisan products are available at the market with a good mix of first time vendors and old hats.

“This is my sixth year attending markets at this location,” Marjut of Misfit and The Muse said. “I am just looking forward to being out here, it is such a nice beautiful spot. It feels different not wearing a mask, and things kind of going back to normal so it feels so different. Covid did affect me a bit, online business was busier but markets were slower as a lot of them were cancelled but I’m glad this market is here.”

Mayor Steve Ferguson cut the opening ribbon and added how nice it is to be back at a market in Wellington.

“It’s nice to be back here,” added Ferguson. “This is a new community market but it is absolutely terrific to be here. And so many of the vendors attending are back. Jeff is back making pizza, Lemonade Dave and his wife working the coffee booth, the Syrian group is here, there are two breweries I can see, of course the bakers are here. This is such an important part of the community and I’m just delighted that this is happening. I wish you a tremendous season as I’m sure it will be, I’ll be here a lot. I wish you all the best as we move forward.”

Other vendors such as P.E.C. Beach Glass by Gayla, Humble bread, the PEC Horticultural Society, Stone Field Eden Alpacas, Lemonade Dave, Pour Over Co., Misfit and The Muse and many more.

“For some people success is measured differently,” McFaul expressed. “For some people their success is measured in dollars because they’ve had a profitable day but there are some vendors where this is their social activity for the week to and this is their chance to interact with their community in a way that they don’t normally get to so they find it very rewarding. And as you can tell the view is amazing and just being here is awesome.”

For more information please visit their Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/wellingtoncommunitymarket/?hl=en

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