Twenty vendors take part in the first Horton Midweek Market

The Horton Farmers’ Market was the place to be for Nicole and gal pals Kim and Brianne on Wednesday in St. Thomas for the first Horton Midweek Market.

“I’m single – I’m ready to mingle!” Nicole laughed at the prospects of the evening. The Wednesday night market, a weekly pilot continuing to Aug. 28, offers not only the usual local produce and artisanal products but, also, music, food and grown-up refreshment on the market patio.

About 20 vendors were on hand this week for the opening, and a sampling of what was on offer included strawberries, greens, carrots, radishes, candles, lavender products, apple cider, beer, sausages, baking and take-away meals, paintings, wood pepper mills, and even Tarot readings and ghost exorcisms!

A number of vendors were regulars at the venerable Saturday morning Horton market.

But for Em Wilson, the Wednesday night market was a new experience. The Grade 11 student at Parkside Collegiate Institute was selling homemade strawberry jam, something she started making just four months ago after adapting her food sciences teacher’s recipe for red pepper jelly.

Em is a Saturday morning market devotee – “I always love coming” – and, when she heard about the Wednesday night market, thought, “Man, I have to go to that!”

For Holleigh, the Wednesday market provided additional opportunity. She’s a Saturday morning customer, but work means she can’t always get to the market. She was shopping Wednesday with friend Jade, who said her Saturday mornings are her time to catch up on sleep.

Watching two-year-old daughter Riagan dance to the music of Ben Heffernan (guitar) and Parker Booth (Cuban tumba cajon, a sort of bass drumbox), Devon Timbrell said the Wednesday market supports local, but it’s also more.

“I love it. I don’t think there’s enough to do in the middle of the week, and it’s great for families.”

Although a thunderstorm just before 7 p.m. put an early end to the evening for some marketgoers, the Horton Midweek Market runs 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each week.

Sadly, the storm also meant no column visit Wednesday evening to St. Anne’s Community Festival, which is celebrating its 51st year.

© Sarnia Observer