Despite spring showers, Mother Nature did not dampen the excitement of the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market season opening on Saturday morning.
Hundreds walked along Pelissier Street to browse the more than 70 vendors who popped up their stalls for the first time this year.
“It was crowded as could be. The turnout was fantastic,” said Steeve Bouchard, a longtime market vendor.
A busy morning left the Bouchard Gardens owner sold out of many items as the next growing season begins.
While the start of each season tends to see a large turnout, Bouchard noted this year’s crowds were more significant.
He suspects the Canada-U.S. trade war and the subsequent push by residents to favour Canadian-made goods is a driving factor.
“People are very conscious of buying local, just like it was during COVID. So, I see the people calling me at the farm wanting to come out to the farm, wanting to come to the market and buy local, which is awesome,” Bouchard said.
Across the market, Bouchard said there’s an expectation to see an uptick in visitors so long as trade tensions continue.
“I brought as much as I could in product, and I was still short, so I even underestimated, and a lot of people right now are out of product,” he added.
“That’s how good it was after two or three hours, so let’s hope it continues through the summer.”
The market will continue to operate between Wyandotte Street West and Park Street West every Saturday into October.
