(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

BRING YOUR SMILES

Market at Red Deer returns to RDP this long weekend

May 17, 2024 | 4:28 PM

The Red Deer Public Market kicks off its latest season on May 18.

Previously housed in front of the Memorial Centre and Red Deer Arena, the event moved to Red Deer Polytechnic last year and the transition has been going well.

“It’s been a win-win-win for everybody there. It’s a fantastic place to be in; the polytechnic has been so helpful and wanting for us to succeed,” says Patrick Moffat, who co-organizes the annual staple with his sister Fiona.

As always, the public market runs every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. until Thanksgiving weekend, which falls on October 7 this year.

The market began as a mere idea in the 1970s, born from the mind of Dennis Moffat while he travelled Ontario. Its first iterations had about 18 vendors — this year they expect to host more than 120.

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Moffat has enjoyed keeping the legacy alive: “It’s the people… they just seem to have a different attitude and a different spirit than if you were working out in an office building or a variety of other places,” he says.

Originally created as a farmers’ market, the event eventually had to change its designation to “public market” due to the increased diversity of the products that has come hand-in-hand with its growth over the last 54 years.

Moffat stresses that everyone is welcome at the market, and reminds shoppers to bring their own bags for shopping, or to contribute to the bag tree if you have excess.

And, he says, “Bring your smiles.”

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