A weekly downtown street closure during market hours adds a European feel to this already unique town

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Already known by locals and visitors alike as one of Sackville's most enjoyable regular events, the Sackville Farmer's Market has expanded for the summer months.

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Paul Merrigan/This Week

One of several local merchants who are able to take part in the expanded Farmer’s Market in Sackville, now that the street is closed to traffic on Saturday mornings.

Changes include bringing in more vendors, more people and blocking vehicular traffic to the end of Bridge Street each Saturday morning for the next several weeks.

"I've always thought that having an outdoor market fits in well in our town," says Town Councillor Virgil Hammock.

"Markets like this keep downtowns active in small communities all over Europe. We've been talking about it a long time - it's something that's long overdue in Sackville."

Normally hosted and contained within the Bridge Street Café, the appeal of adding vendors outside and closing off the street is one that seems to have been quite popular with market goers.

"It helps make the market more of a destination," explains Cathy Keeling, the owner of the Bridge Street Café. "We're trying to create more of a festival atmosphere."

With the regular vendors selling such items as handmade crafts, vegetables, meat, cheeses and Japanese and Indian food, several other items or events have become regulars with the market expanding onto Bridge Street.

"Festival By The Marsh has been performing a 15 minute history of the town of Sackville - right from the creation of the earth right to the present day," says Cathy.

"Students from the tourist bureau have been doing activities with children such as face painting with children or cookie decorating and every week there has been a different community organization hosting a barbecue on the street."

While the number of students from Mount Allison, a major chunk of the local market goers, decreases during the summer, an increase in tourists and initiatives such as expanding to outdoors helps balance out the attendance.

"Part of the success of the market has been it's location - it's right downtown in the heart of the town," says Cathy "We're within walking distance of pretty much anywhere in town."

With the plan to expand the market initially meant to cover the summer months, the success of the expansion so far has been encouraging.

"I've gotten tremendously positive feedback from people in the community," says Virgil. "At this point we're hoping to keep the outdoor Market going until the Fall Fair, which is the 18-20 of September."

With several weeks of the expanded Market to go, more and more people have an opportunity to check out the food, crafts and fun inside and outside of the Bridge Street Café.

"We're trying to make Sackville more pedestrian and bike friendly and this is a big part of that," says Virgil. "We want people to think of Sackville as a destination and have reasons not just to come here, but to stay."

The Sackville Farmer's Market runs each Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Bridge Street Café as well as on Bridge Street itself. For more information, contact Cathy at 536-3844 or visit www.heartofsackville.com.