Farmers’ markets back for summer

By Lethbridge Herald on June 25, 2025.

Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Farmers’ market season has officially kicked-off with the opening of the 2025 Lethbridge Farmers’ Market at the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre last weekend. 

The opening marks its 63rd year as a community event offering local products made, baked or grown right here in Alberta. The Downtown Farmers’ Market will open on July 2 and run until August 27.

The Lethbridge and District Exhibition (LDE) has been producing the Saturday Lethbridge Farmers’ Market annually since 1962. The Downtown Lethbridge Farmers’ Market, a partnership between LDE and the Downtown Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ), started in 2018, initially to address the need for a grocery option after the downtown IGA closed.

“You’re supporting the local economy and that’s a really good thing. The quality is really-really high,” says Lethbridge resident David Barrett, who came in search of fresh produce. “You might pay a little bit more but you’re getting really good quality all the time.”

Farmers’ market produce generally offers advantages in terms of freshness, flavor, and nutritional value compared to store-bought produce, while also supporting local Farmers’ and communities. 

“Everything that comes to the table is fresh out of the garden,” says vendor Nathan Entz, of the Rock Lake Hutterite Colony, who has been participating in the Lethbridge Farmers’ Market for 40 years. “The same customers repeat every week, and that’s what drives you. Business is good. Farmers’ markets are good.”

Both the Saturday and Downtown markets are Alberta-approved, ensuring that at least 80 per cent of the market’s products are made, baked, or grown in Alberta. Besides fresh produce and baked goods, the market offers a wide variety of other products, including local meat, artisan crafts, handmade clothing, and even items like chocolate and coffee beans. Products aside, these markets foster a sense of community and offer opportunities for social interaction.

“I think the value [of Farmers’ markets] is It gives us access to what has built our economy, and that is the farmers and the things that are grown here…the meats, the cheeses, the fresh eggs,” says Alice Matisz who brought friends visiting from the U.S. with her to see the market. “But it’s a bonus to be able to see some of the community stands that are starting to happen. There’s Filipino food and Mexican food, there’s food from parts of Africa…that’s something new that the exhibition is adding and I like that a lot.”

The Lethbridge Farmers’ Market has a rich history, deeply rooted in the region’s agricultural heritage. Initially formed as the Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society in 1897, it later evolved into the Lethbridge & District Exhibition, showcasing local agriculture and commerce. 

The market, as it’s known today, officially began in August 1962, when a group of Farmers’ established a new market at 1513 3 Avenue South after a disagreement with the owners of the existing market. 

The Saturday Lethbridge Farmers’ Market will operate until Oct. 11 at the UFA Hall in the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.(except for August 23 because of Whoop-Up Days). Admission and parking are free.