When in the sunny Okanagan we do what anyone would do- we head to the Farmer's Market to find some local goodies. Located at the corner of Springfield and Dilworth Ave this is literally one of Kelowna's hot spots! With an abundance of crafters and artisans I saw loads of lovely handmade wares- from natural beauty products to children's clothing and pottery.
Of course we all have our favourites to look for when shopping a market like this- I was on the hunt for some in season cherries of course but was pleasantly surprised to see the peaches starting to come into season as well. All the other usual suspects were in attendance as well but we were not grocery shopping so ample time was afforded to check out everything else!
With temperatures reaching into the 40s yesterday we headed straight for a cool and refreshing beverage at the lemonade cart- lemons, ice and sugar- you can't get much more simple or refreshing than that! I will admit that I am a total ocean girl now- I have become acclimatised to Vancouver's constant cool breeze and am currently sweltering in the Okanagan sun!
Because I am clearly not in my right mind I went straight for the alpaca wool stand- where I lingered for several moments trying to decide on a colour or this gorgeous Alpaca wool from Sumaq Valley Alpaca. Lovely colours and ever so soft- The Boy decided on a variegated blue for a hat and matching scarf for the winter. Yes on the hottest day ever we were thinking of winter!
Not to be missed is the Allergic Chef offers a selection of delicious gluten,nut and soy free treats along with rubs, spices and my favourite Pumpkin Brittle. James Mullen is one of the hardest working vendors I know- he can be found at most markets from Peachland to Vernon through out the week. We can all attest that the gluten free brownies are super yummy and chocolaty- a real treat!
The Kelowna Farmer's and Crafter's Market is open Wednesday and Saturdays 8am - 1pm and rain or shine April through to October. If you go be sure to wear a hat and pack lots of water as this venue is not very well shaded and can get very hot. So much goodness to be found here- I love seeing such a vibrate artist community happening where not much existed for so long. This is a fantastic market and is on our list of "must dos" when we are in town!
You are a lovely family and I am always inspired by how you incorporate you're handcrafted life and your experiences you share with your beautiful children. Love your blog posts! You are a great role model to moms everywhere. Enjoy your trip!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you! What a nice compliment! A handcrafted life is such a beautiful thing- as you well know! Our trip is drawing to an end much too soon- but I am feeling full of inspiration and am itching to get back in the studio next week!
DeleteI love farmer's markets with kids. Hudson wants to taste everything and the vendors always oblige him, then give him seconds and sometimes thirds when he's really excited. It's pretty cute. AND I love that when I go to my little farmer's market on Fridays (there are several bigger ones on the weekends) the vendors know me and I get such good deals. AND you know your food is super safe since you're talking to the people who farm it or make it! Things I know you know, but bear repeating.
ReplyDeleteI love farmer's markets!
It is true if kids either know where their food comes from or help grow it they are more likely to eat it- not that I have ever really had any eating issues with my kiddos- quite the opposite! haha!
DeleteYou are right the finer more ethical points of shopping at Farmer's Markets always bear repeating- that is part of why I made it my sort of unofficial mission this summer to visit as many markets as possible and write about them. We are so lucky in BC to have access to some of the finest food- attention needs to be brought back to that. We have so many talented artists and crafters struggling to make a living- attention needs to be brought to that.
This bounty must be showcased and celebrated!