Trout Lake Farmers Market in Vancouver, British Columbia
By AliciaC
May to October is farmers market season in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. There are several markets not far from my home, but my favorite one is the Trout Lake Farmers Market, which is located in John Hendry Park in East Vancouver. Here I can not only buy fresh produce, artisan baked goods, plants to grow at home and crafts, but also enjoy the social and festive atmosphere created by the visitors, the friendly vendors and the entertainers.
The farmers market is a very popular event. Buskers play music and there's often a face painting station for children. There are also information tables describing local food or environmental issues. Occasionally there is a specialty area such as a bike repair station. The market is fun for people of all ages and for dog visitors too. Dogs are welcome at the Trout Lake Market, as long as they stay on a short leash.
After visiting the market I walk around Trout Lake, which is situated in John Hendry Park near the farmers market. Trout Lake is a lovely piece of nature in the middle of an urban area. A Saturday morning visit to the farmers market and John Hendry Park is a very nice way to start the weekend.
Getting to the Trout Lake Farmers Market
I could walk to the Trout Lake Farmers Market from my home in Burnaby, and have done so a few times, but it’s quite a long and time-consuming trip. Usually I compromise by walking part of the way, then taking the SkyTrain (a rapid transit system that extends through Vancouver and surrounding communities, mostly on an elevated track). SkyTrain stops close to the farmers market, at the Broadway or Commercial Drive stations, depending on the SkyTrain line. The two stations are next door neighbours and are connected to each other. SkyTrain provides frequent service and has a branch that goes to and from the Vancouver airport.
Another alternative for getting to the market, which I’ll use later on this summer when I buy a new bicycle, is to cycle to the market. The greater Vancouver region has a network of urban trails for pedestrians, cyclists and inline skaters. Many sections of the trails are attractively bordered by plants. The trails are very nice for a cautious cyclist like me who dislikes riding a bike in traffic, and are great for families with young children. One trail passes very close to John Hendry Park, which is a popular destination for recreational cyclists. Trout Lake Market has a free “bike valet” service. Bicycles are stored in a guarded area while their owners visit the market.
There are also parking lots in John Hendry Park for car drivers - although the parking lots nearest to the market are very busy on a market Saturday - and buses that go along the roads that border the 27.4 hectare (68 acre) park if someone wants to avoid the walk from the Skytrain station to the park.
Vendors at the Trout Lake Farmers Market
In 2011, the Trout Lake farmers market operates every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., starting on May 14th and ending on October 22nd. The times and dates are roughly the same each year. There are some vendors, such as the coffee and crepe sellers, which are at the Trout Lake market every week. However, most vendors visit on a rotating basis, and their wares depend on what is currently being grown. There are always produce and baked good vendors, and usually vendors that sell wild salmon, meats, cheeses, herbs, spices, pickles, preserves, honey, granola mixes and artisan chocolates. There are often hot lunch vendors too. There’s a different selection of produce to choose from as the growing season progresses. A lot of the produce is organic. Detailed vendor information, a vendor schedule and a seasonal produce guide are given at the Vancouver Farmers Markets website.
Crafters are an important part of the Trout Lake market. On a specific day there may be painters, photographers, potters, woodworkers, jewelry makers, fibre artists or textile artists at the market. “Vancouver Farmers Markets”, the society which runs the Trout Lake market and the other Vancouver markets, holds a craft jury each year to decide which crafters are allowed to sell their creations.
The Trout Lake market also sells potted plants to grow in a garden, on a balcony or in a house. On my latest visit to the market there was an interesting carnivorous plants stall.
Advantages of Buying Foods at Farmers Markts
Fresh food is the healthiest food. Fruits and vegetables lose nutrients once they are picked. Ideally, we would all grow our own produce and eat it as soon as it was picked. Most of us don’t have the space or the time to do this, however. The next best thing is to buy straight from a farm.
At the Trout Lake market the growers bring their recently picked produce to the market and set up a temporary stall to sell their goods. The food has been grown by local farmers and has been transported over shorter distances than a lot of the food in supermarkets and grocery stores. In addition to keeping the food fresh this reduces pollution caused by vehicles.
John Hendry Park and Trout Lake
In the late nineteenth century John Hendry Park was the site of the Hasting Sawmill, which was owned by John Hendry, an important man in the local lumber industry. Trout Lake, which is natural peat bog lake located in the park, was the water source for the mill. John Hendry’s daughter donated her father’s land to the Vancouver Parks Board, on condition that the new park was named after her father. Local people tend to call the park Trout Lake Park though, or simply "Trout Lake", since the lake is such a large and popular feature in the park.
John Hendry Park is a popular place for dog walkers. At one end of Trout Lake is an area where dogs are allowed to enter the water and to play off leash – which they do with great energy and enjoyment! They all seem to get on very well with each other. I’ve never seen a dog fight in the park. At the opposite end of the lake is a larger area which is reserved for human swimmers and where dogs are not allowed. In this area there is a beach and in summer a lifeguard is present.
John Hendry Park has a new community centre, which has an ice-skating rink/arena, racquetball and squash courts, an indoor cycling court, a gym, a fitness centre and a pottery studio as well as a snack bar. The address of the community centre is 3350 Victoria Drive, but the park can be accessed from many other points
The park also contains playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, sports fields, a picnic site and washrooms. The trail around the lake has a good surface for jogging. There’s lots to do for children and sports lovers, and the lake area is a good place for nature lovers. A wide variety of birds live in the habitats around the lake. However, despite its name, the lake contains no trout.
The park is also very pleasant for people who would like to sit on the grass or on a bench and read a book, talk to friends or family, have a picnic or watch people and dogs playing in the park. Special events are held in John Hendry Park throughout the year, including a popular lantern festival.
If you’re in the Vancouver area and have a spare Saturday morning a visit to the farmers market is an enjoyable experience and a chance to buy fresh, nutritious and tasty food, and John Hendry Park is fun to visit at any time.
Comments
Thank you very much for the comment, Gordon. You’re right – although the general idea behind a farmers market is the same everywhere, they all vary in character. There is actually a farmers market much nearer to my house than the Trout Lake Market, but I much prefer traveling a longer distance to get to Trout Lake. I haven’t encountered quite the same festive and friendly atmosphere of the Trout Lake market anywhere else, plus I love walking around the lake and park after I’ve been to the market.
A wonderful account of an awesome farmers market. The great bicycle valet concept and dog friendly also, then the opportunity to take a walk around the beautiful lake is a bonus. Farmers markets are becoming popular here in Australia and are a great way to buy fresh, buy local and catch up with friends of the community.
Thanks for sharing this great event that combines shopping and a great time out. Voted up, awesome and useful.
Thank you very much for the comment and votes, Fennelseed! John Hendry Park is a very dog friendly area, which is one reason why I like it, since I love dogs. I enjoy visiting different farmers markets, even though the Trout Lake market is my favorite one so far. The markets provide a lovely selection of fresh produce, and have other interesting foods too.
Farmer's Markets are such Fun...Something for Everyone. Quite an Interesting and Informative Hub AliceC. I so Love the picture of the Dogs enjoying the water...And a save place for Bikes and Riding, what more could one ask for!
Hi, b. Malin. Yes, the markets are fun, and, as you say, they have something for everyone! John Hendry Park is a good place for a farmers market, which is very supportive of cyclists. They really want to encourage people to leave their cars at home.
Hi AliciaC, very interesting and informational hub about Trout Lake Farmers Market, farmer markets are always a great adventure no matter what city or town they are in .
Awesome and vote up !!!
Thanks a lot, kashmir56! You're right - although I wrote about one particular farmers market, all farmers markets are interesting in some way. It's great that they are becoming more popular. I love buying vegetables and fruits from a farmers market. The food is always so fresh and it's interesting to see what local growers are cultivating. The markets in my area have a wide variety of produce, especially if I arrive soon after the market opens. Some of the popular items are sold quite fast, so it's not a good idea to reach the market shortly before it closes!
Sounds like a wonderful market Alicia, I too love to visit the local Farmer's Market whenever possible to get the best produce, breads, flowers, etc. and it is a fun way to meet with growers, make new friends, visit with old friends and I usually learn something new each time! Great write! Fresh is always best!
Thank you for the comment, Chatkath. You've described the benefits of a farmers market very well! I look forward to the opening of my local markets every summer and miss them when they close at the end of the season.
Great hub AliciaC. This place looks and sounds lovely. I'd love to visit Canada one of these days. One day as I was waiting for my car to be repaired, this lady was telling me to visit Canada, so I made it a point to added to my 'bucket list.'
Thanks for posting and take care of yourself
John
Thank you very much, John. There are some lovely places in Canada. I've lived in three provinces since I moved here from Britain, but British Columbia is my favorite. It has some beautiful scenery.
Another great hub from you! This looks like a both useful and fun event. There is nothing better than to be able to bye fresh products that haven't been transported around half the world. There seems to be something for everyone! Great photos, they are beautiful and the dogs seems to enjoy themselves:)
Thanks for a glimpse of Trout Lake farmers market!
Tina
Hi, Tina! Thank you for your comment. There is something for everyone at John Hendry Park, which is why it's so popular. The market and the lake are the highlights for me. Natural habitats have been created around the lake to attract birds and other animals, but the lake is big enough to have an area for swimming and sunbathing as well.
I adore farmers markets, and this one sounds particularly exquisite! I love the photos, and hope I might make my way to Vancouver- to see this and many other things- someday.
Hi, Simone. Thanks a lot for your comment. Yes, the Trout Lake market is very nice. I hope that you're able to visit Vancouver some time. I’ve been to San Francisco, and enjoyed my visit very much!
Wow thanks for the wonderful Hub. It brought back a lot of fond memories. I have not been fishing for a very long time. Growing up in Michigan I would go fishing almost year round. In the winter Ice fishing, summer just lake fishing and my step-dad and me go on a two week stay and Trout fish in the streams of Northern Mich. We always do fly fishing to catch them. Take them right out of the stream and cook them oh boy that was some fine eats.
Thanks again for taking me down memory lane. (next time I pack bag) see ya!
Congrats on being the Hub of the Day! This is my favorite hub featured so far. In a year I hope to plan a trip to Vancouver and I am going to put this farmer's market and park on my list of sights to see. Thank you so much for sharing, I enjoyed reading this a lot.
Voted up and awesome!
Hi, reg5566. Thank you very much for the interesting comment. It's strange that "Trout Lake" in Vancouver is named after trout when there are no trout living there!
Thank you so much for the kind comment and the votes, applecsmith! I hope that you enjoy your trip to Vancouver and that you do get a chance to visit the market and John Hendry Park.
Your welcome!And in Michigan there is a lake that is called Bass Lake and only has Perch & Blue Gill fish.
Go figure...
Aren't farmers' markets grand? I love the local markets here for fruits and veggies especially (I live in Chilliwack.) Congratulations on being chosen hub of the day.
ps. your avatar cat is beautiful.
Yes, reg5566, the naming process for natural areas is sometimes strange, or only made sense when the area was first named!
Hi, FloraBreenRobison. I see that we are (almost) neighbours! Thank you for the congratulations. Yes, farmers markets are great places.
My avatar cat is Nevin, one of my ragdoll cats. People have commented that he looks so serious in the photo, but that's his normal expression!
What a gorgeous hub! I'm sorry I didn't get to this place when I toured Vancouver. Such a beautiful city, I'd love to visit again. We're way over here in Michigan, though, and this year plan a trip up to Montreal and Quebec City. Voted awesome!
Congratulations on being selected for the Hub of the Day!
This is a great article and is very thorough and well written. I live in New England and there are many farmers markets all over. My city alone has at least 3. Great Hub! Voting Up and sharing!
JSMatthew~
Congratulations on this being chosen Hub of the Day!
Congratulations - this hub of the day award is certainly bringing some great hubs (and writers) to everyone's attention!
Hi, JSParker. I've never been to Quebec or to Montreal. I would love to visit Quebec and take lots of photographs! I hope that you enjoy your trip. Thank you very much for the comment and the vote.
Thank you very much for the comment, the vote and the share, J.S.Matthew! Vancouver and the surrounding cities have lots of farmers markets too. It's fun to explore them all!
Thank you for the congratulations, Patty Inglish!
Hi, RedElf. Thank you very much for the visit and the great comment!
Congratulations AliciaC, this is a great hub, I enjoyed it the first time around and so glad to see it as Hub of the Day, so well deserved.
Thank you so much for your congratulations, Fennelseed. I appreciate your comment very much.
Congratulation for the hub of the day. I love strolling around farmers market. Thanks for sharing and voted up.
Hi, Thelma Alberts. Thanks a lot for the the comment and the vote!
very festive atmosphere and wondful place.
Sounds like a wonderful, magical place. Wish I lived closer. The entire family would go, including the dogs. I love fresh fruits and veggies. Nothing worse than going to the store and buying produce that looks good but tastes horrible. Produce picked before it was ripe and shipped miles and miles to the store losing all taste and nutritional value. Great hub!
Hi, joyroller. Yes, the Trout Lake Farmers Market does have a festive atmosphere. It's a very enjoyable place to visit.
Love your hub. We love visiting and supporting markets . We used to sell hook-eze for fishing at markets till my husband had a heart attack, still got loads.
Thank you, BukowskiBabe. Yes, I agree with you - I love buying produce at farmers markets because the fruits and vegetables are fresh and they taste so good!
Thank you very much, freecampingaussie. I'm sorry that your husband had a heart attack. I hope that you're able to get back to being a market vendor at some point.
Congrats on hub of the day! I love this hub, especially your fantastic photos. I've always wanted to visit British Columbia, and this makes me want to visit even more. Voted up/awesome!
Thank you for the comment and the vote, Kate! I like living in British Columbia. It has some beautiful scenery. Hopefully you'll be able to visit BC some day!
Incredibly awesome! I am surprised there are beautiful flowers like this in October in Canada. I would think they would be getting snow by then. I love trout so will definately have to add this to my list of places I want to visit. Thanks for the beautfully written Hub.
Thank you very much for the comment, Naomi's Banner! The flower photo in this hub was taken this summer, but here in the Vancouver area on the southwest coast of Canada we get mild autumns and winters, unlike in other parts of the country and in some other parts of British Columbia. We usually get very little snow at sea level, and when we get snow it usually doesn't last for long. The nearby mountains do get snow though, which makes the skiers and snowboarders happy!
That market looks very good. You produced a really excellent hub here. I love the photographs, too.
You definitely deserve hub of the day. Congratulations.
I agree about fresh food being important. It's not only delicious, but healthier, too.
Thanks a lot for your comment, Bud! I like the health and taste benefits of fresh food too.
Gordon Hamilton 10 months ago
Fabulous Hub, encapsulating not only the wonders of your Trout Lake Farmers' Market but the benefits of shopping at farmers' markets in general. I've been to many farmers' markets in the UK and mainland Europe and love the way that each one always affords something that little bit different. No way is it a case of that when you've seen one, you've seen them all!
What I am really ashamed to admit is that, since I have moved back to my home town, I haven't yet visited the one which now exists a mere five miles away. I really need to put that right and maybe I will share that experience in a Hub.
Thanks for the information and the much needed prompt! :)