After an eight-year hiatus, North Delta residents will once again have a local farmers’ market to shop at this summer.
Last week, the City of Delta announced it was partnering with The Collective Markets to operate a "make it, bake it, grow it"-style market at the North Delta Recreation Centre.
Taking place on select Saturdays from May to September, the outdoor market will provide space for around 40 vendors to sell fresh produce, handmade crafts, baked goods and more, according to a city press release.
The North Delta market’s page on The Collective Markets’ website also states there will be family-friendly activities and live entertainment.
“This market is a fantastic way to bring our community together while supporting local entrepreneurs and small businesses,” Mike Brotherston, director of corporate services for the City of Delta, said in a press release.
“We are excited to see the community embrace this opportunity to connect with local vendors and enjoy fresh, locally made products.”
Opening day is set for May 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Further markets are planned for June 14 and 28, July 12 and 26, Aug. 9 and 23, Sept. 6 and 20, and Oct. 4.
Vendor applications are open now at thecollectivemarkets.ca/pages/north-delta-farmers-market. Rates are $45 per market date for local farmers, artisans and bakers (vendors must make, bake, grow or wild forage the products they intend to sell), $80 per market date for “community sponsors" (local businesses who want to have a booth to promote themselves at the market) and free for “community partners” (non profit and charity groups that offer free services to the community).
The previous North Delta Farmers’ Market ran for several years at Sunbury Hall before moving to the North Delta Recreation Centre in 2014. It continued outside the centre through 2018 before taking a year off due to construction at the site.
Plans to restart the market in 2020 were derailed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the community has been without a regular market since.
In November of 2024, as part of a vote to expand and enhance the Ladner Village Market, council directed staff to undertake an open process to solicit interest in operating a North Delta market.
The city issued a request for expressions of interest in December, and The Collective Markets — which operates Ladner Village Market on behalf of the City of Delta — was chosen from among five responses received before the Jan. 2 deadline.
The Collective Markets’ agreement with the city is for a two-year term. Details of the deal were not immediately available.
However, in its request for expressions of interest, the city said it would provide use of the rec centre parking lot fronting 84th Avenue and the North Delta Social Heart Plaza free of charge, and the operator would retain the gross revenue generated from the market, minus the city’s costs to support it — things like staff time for equipment set up and take down, garbage removal, etc.
Meanwhile, the Ladner Village Market returns on June 8 for a run of eight Sundays through late September. Dates include June 22, July 6 and 20, Aug. 10 and 24, and Sept. 7 and 21.
As well as adding an eighth market day to the 2025 schedule, other changes approved by council in November include extending the market layout down Delta Street to Bridge Street; allowing businesses along the market route to set up pop-up patios for food and beverage sales on market days (subject to obtaining necessary permits); and introducing an “artists’ corner,” an eating area, and a dedicated area for community activities.
An additional recommendation to repeal the market's "no dogs" rule was not supported by council.
