St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market celebrating 50 years of local memories

It’s a huge milestone for one of Waterloo Region’s historic and delicious local attractions, as the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market gets ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The popular farmers’ market is a key staple for not just the region, but also Canada, becoming the largest year-round market across the country.

“There was about a dozen original farmers that would come to the livestock exchange on this property back in 1975,” said General Manager for the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, Joanna Loebach. “The market got its roots from the family members that didn’t participate in the livestock exchange, staying in the parking lot to exchange produce and other kinds of homemade goods.”

The market would eventually get its name in 1991, with Loebach saying there have been a lot of various changes since it first began. She says though that a lot has stayed the same as well.

“It was an outdoor market from 1975 until the eighties and then the first market building got built in the eighties. We have some original vendors that are still here from the first building getting erected in 1987.”

It has faced a few challenges over the years, with fires devastating portions of the market in both 2013 and later in 2016 as well. The market has a rich history, with Loebach saying they’re looking to mark the importance of the market in the lives of those throughout the region.

“We’ll be doing a permanent installation at the market, and we’re just kind of on the final stages of that,” said Loebach. “We’re really looking for photos that could compliment that story with plans to unveil that to the public in May.”

She says the market is looking for various forms of memorabilia ranging from photos, stories, posters, letters, and other keepsakes to include in the upcoming installation.

Find the full list of details on the market, its vendors, and its history, along with the anniversary installation on the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market website.