Downtown Farmers’ Market hopes to ‘pick up some steam’ despite construction, weather woes

The Downtown Farmers' Market took over 104 Street on Saturday for the first time in 2026.

The “footprint” of the iconic Downtown Farmers’ Market ebbs and flows over the course of its five-month run, according to spokesperson Quinn Phillips.

But the 104 Street attraction – which boasts local produce, products, patio dining and, new this year, art workshops – will prevail despite weather and construction.

“When we talk about vibrancy downtown, this is incredibly important,” Edmonton Downtown Business Association’s Phillips said. “If you come around these parts of the downtown on the weekends, they tend not to be quite as busy, so being able to bring thousands of people every single Saturday is really important for these businesses.”

Saturday’s opening day was a chilly one and saw around 35 vendors lining the street, which Phillips said would likely be the smallest footprint of the year.

“It usually starts a bit slow, like this, and in June it really starts to pick up with more produce vendors when they’re ready to come and sell.”

Valley Line LRT construction in the area was also a concern. The market will be slightly smaller until August, when 102 Avenue is slated to reopen. In the meantime, drivers are able to pass through 105 Street to get to the market.

The market’s record number of vendors was 65 last year, but Phillips says the event operator has plotted out the same capacity this year despite spacing challenges.

“Hopefully we can pick up some steam and get to those numbers by mid-season,” she said.

To support that growth, the association partnered with the Alberta Craft Council to offer free weekly workshops, a schedule of which is set to go up on the market’s official website shortly.

“Every year we hire a number of local artists to provide entertainment for the people who are enjoying the market, and this year we’re expanding on that,” she said.

The 104 Street Entertainment District is once again open every farmers’ market, meaning visitors will be able to enjoy dining and alcoholic beverages outdoors.

The Downtown Farmers’ Market is open each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Galen McDougall