Best Summer Farmers Markets Guide

Bring your cooler and get shopping for local farm produce, baked goods, crafts and more.

If you’ve been inspired by recent world events to get serious about supporting local, one of the best ways you can do that is by visiting a farmers’ market. The money you spend goes directly to the farmer or producer whose wares you’re buying, plus there’s often live music, kids and dogs running around, and friends old and new to catch up with. Here are some of our local favourites; for more info, visit bcfarmersmarkettrail.com. 

Saturday farmers’ markets

Moss Street Farmers’ Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Celebrating its 34th season this year, this is Victoria’s must-visit market for farm-fresh local and organic produce, baked goods, handmade crafts and so much more. It is open year-round, but in May it moves outdoors and adds dozens of vendors to its lineup. 

Duncan Farmers’ Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Take a road trip to the Cowichan Valley for this year-round outdoor market that sprawls through the streets of downtown. Then why not visit some of the valley’s wineries on the way home?  

Salt Spring Saturday Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.-ish

Make a day of it and catch the first ferry over to take in this bountiful market. In addition to terrific local produce, you’ll find arts and crafts by internationally acclaimed artisans. Note that the island also has a food-only market on Tuesday afternoons. 

Other Saturday markets: James Bay Community Market, Goldstream Farmers’ Market in Langford, Sooke Country Market, the North Saanich Market and the Peninsula Country Market at the Saanich Fairgrounds.

Sunday farmers’ markets

Metchosin Farmers’ Market, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A true country market surrounded by bucolic farmlands, everything here is homemade, handmade or homegrown. Open from Mother’s Day to the last Sunday of October. 

Weekday farmers’ markets

Esquimalt Farmers Market, Thursdays, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

This is the 11th year for this “food-first” market at Memorial Park, where you can pick up dinner from one of the hot-food vendors and enjoy live music while the kids run wild in the onsite playground. 

Other summertime sunset markets: Gorge Farmers’ Market, Mondays, June through September; Oaklands Sunset Market, Wednesdays in July and August; Oak Bay Night Market, Wednesdays, from June to September; Sidney Street Market, Thursdays, June through August.