Our History
Many people have wanted a farmer's market in Eganville for a long time. The location seemed right - a busy community within Renfrew County that swells in size in the summer with the arrival of cottagers and campers visiting the four major lakes nearby. The village is situated on a major highway that sees traffic to Algonquin Park and other tourist areas. It was believed that this extra traffic would help to sustain a market and bring extra tourist dollars to the area.
In 2011 the time was right and an eager group of interested people started the necessary work to make it a reality. The group worked towards establishing a traditional Saturday morning market but soon realized that vendors were already committed to other markets. It was decided that Friday was a reasonable option and should still appeal to weekend visitors passing through. Work was fast and furious and resulted in a successful one-day trial market held on September 30, 2011. It gave vendors an opportunity to assess the facilities and the local interest, and most importantly, determine if they were interested in participating in a Friday market.
Both vendors and customers gave the market two thumbs up!
In 2012, the market enjoyed its first full season of operation.
With permission from Bonnechere Valley Township Council, the market was established at Legion Field.
The official opening was on June 29, 2012 and was attended by several dignitaries who jointly cut the ribbon after their congratulatory speeches. For the 2012 season, the market operated as the Eganville 100 Mile Farmers’ Market but for simplicity, “100 Mile” was dropped from the name at the end of that season.
During the first year, the hours were from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. during July and August and then reduced to 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. during September and October (due to shorter daylight hours and cooler temperatures late in the day). The varying hours were found to be complicated and customers also seemed to prefer an earlier start.
The following year the market operated from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Fridays during the entire season. New vendors were added and a successful season concluded with the "Giant Pumpkin " drop at the Eganville Foodland.
For 2014 and 2015, the market moved to a location with higher visibility - the Grace Lutheran Church parking lot, 14 Bonnechere St West, Eganville (next to the Fire Station).
It returned to Legion Field in 2016 which will be its permanent location for the future. This offers ample parking, public washrooms, picnic tables, and plenty of room for expansion.