The clouds were looming but the rain held off for the most part for the opening day of the Innisfil Farmers' Market on Thursday afternoon.
"This is my favourite time of year when the Farmers' Market opens for the year, and I am so looking forward to it, thank you for all your hard work," said Mayor Lynn Dollin just before cutting the ribbon to welcome in market-goers.
Over 200 visitors came through within the first hour, each receiving their own green cloth market bag.
Market Manager Jaime Grant was happy to see so many people getting out again, back to normal like pre-pandemic times.
The Market now has 60+ vendors from growers to makers, making it the largest farmers' market in Simcoe County.
"It gets bigger from here," she said, noting not all of the local growers' are set up yet, as it is still early in the produce growing season.
A new bench, donated by Innsifil Smiles Solutions, sits at the market entrance for guests to have a seat and relax in between shopping.
New vendor, Bath Harmony out of the Holland Marsh, is run by mother Veronica Havenschuss and her two daughters Holly and Victoria. They launched their handmade soap and bath bomb business during the pandemic as a way to pay for university, and are now selling their products online and at local markets.
The women have their own workshop set up in their grandmother's basement, next door.
"She gave them her basement, a typical '70s basement, that has been transformed into their factory," said Veronica.
All their products include ingredients with nourishing and moisturizing qualities, including shea butter, hemp seed oil, olive oil, coconut butter and castor oil.
Another new vendor is Dawn Nita of DWN Chocolate, a craft chocolatier. Nita is from Orillia and decided to join the Innisfil Farmer's Market after connecting with Grant at another local market around Christmas time.
Eleven years ago she worked at a chocolate company in Toronto, and then branched out on her own to create hand-crafted chocolate bars and treats with unique flavour combinations and colours, like her sparkling rose bar and lemon meringue malt balls.
This year, Grant says she is trying to include more on-site food vendors for guests to indulge in while shopping. Walking through the market, you can smell the aroma of fresh pizza being made in the wood-fired oven at the Cuore di Pomodoro tent, made by Michele Mangiapia and Liliana Mora.
Grant has been running the Innisfil Farmers' Market for the past 12 years, and also runs her own baking business, Sweet Oven Bakery, a regular vendor at the market.
Thursday was bittersweet for Grant though, letting customers know that starting next week, her well-known red and white checkered table of baked goods will no longer be at the market.
Grant recently took on the role of market manager for the Barrie Farmers' Market and made the tough decision to put her baking business on hold for now, in order to accommodate both the Barrie and Innisfil market management responsibilities.
"The market is big enough, I've approved four other bakeries that have all different types of things in here," she said. "There are new bakers, exciting new bakers."
Last year, Grant started up 'Artisan Alley' featuring local artists set up along the east side of the market.
"Those vendors will rotate, so there will always be something new," she said.
The Innisfil Farmers' Market is designated a 'True Farmers' Market' as over 51 per cent of the vendors are identified as Primary Producers, personally growing or raising at least 70 per cent of the products they sell.
Each week there are free activities for the kids, including bubbles, hopscotch or colouring.
The market runs every Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m. until the end of October. To learn more visit their website here.
