Last Thursday, B.C. rolled back COVID-19 restrictions on farmers’ markets.
Officials are allowing non-food vendors at outdoor markets for the first time since early December.
It’s welcome news both for local artists and the non-profits who run the events.
“Everyone is super stoked. We let our vendors know right away. Everyone is happy to be back,” said Amanda Fallis, the market coordinator for the Vernon Farmers’ Market.
The Vernon Farmers’ Market had been lobbying the province to allow craft sales to return.
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The restrictions on non-food vendors were put in place during the province’s second wave and dealt a financial blow to many B.C. markets.
Fallis said with artists and craft vendors, the Vernon market only had around half its normal number of vendors this winter.
“We just got through this winter with government subsidies,” Fallis said.
The market coordinator said running this summer’s events without the crafters “would have broken the bank.”
“We would be running a big deficit without the crafters there,” Fallis said.
Crafters have yet to be welcomed back to indoor markets, but the plan for outdoor settings includes ongoing pandemic precautions.
“We will have our one-way aisles again, everything roped off, lots of signs, sanitization stations everywhere,” said Fallis.
“We are pretty confident that it is going to be a great season.”
The Vernon Farmers’ Market will reopen for its outdoor season in mid-April with crafters on hand once again.