Bella Pritchard (left) and Irelyn Osenda show off some products from the business they help run with their grandmother, Gifts & Mor Catering, on opening day of the 2022 season, May 21. Gifts & Mor has vended at The Market since 1994. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

very busy

WATCH: The Market at Red Deer gets 2022 season rolling

May 21, 2022 | 4:02 PM

On Saturday, the vendors were vending and the patrons were patronizing the many family-owned businesses back out again for another bountiful season at The Market at Red Deer.

The Market launched its 52nd season to kick off the May long weekend, at its traditional location outside Servus Arena, with the mood a happy one.

Seated at his own table amid the crowd was the man who founded the Market 52 years ago, Dennis Moffatt, who last year, along with wife Barbara, passed on primary responsibility for the weekly event to their grown children Patrick and Fiona.

Moffatt shared that his health is good, adding he was overjoyed to see The Market back in all its glory, post-pandemic restrictions.

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“If happiness could be measured, this would be, on a scale of one to 10, 10+,” Moffatt told rdnewsNOW. “It’s a marvelous feeling to see the people in this community supporting the market. Everybody’s smiling.”

Shea Volk, whose family runs Lil’ Orbits mini donuts food cart, and has been a vendor at The Market for 28 years, praised the Moffatts for creating a great family atmosphere.

“The last few years have been tough in that people haven’t been allowed to congregate, so it’s nice to see people doing that again,” said Volk, noting they’ve surely sold millions of millions donuts in their time at The Market.

“Dennis is out here on a weekly basis; he’s turned it over a bit, but he’s still a lifelong thread here. A lot of vendors have been here a long time, and it’s because of the family environment and atmosphere that you get between them why everybody’s happy to be here.”

More information about The Market at Red Deer is at reddeermarket.ca.

The Market at Red Deer is open every Saturday from 8 a.m to 12:30 p.m. through the Thanksgiving long weekend.

READ MORE: “It’s a happy place”: The Market at Red Deer returns May long weekend