Fletcher Street in Petrolia will be lined with vendors two days of the week throughout the summer for the Saturday Farmers' Market and the new Tuesday Night Market.
The annual Petrolia Farmers' Market started operating on June 5 and its grand opening community barbeque will be held on July 3.
However, the community barbeque will be a little different this year with take-out hamburgers, hot dogs, and fresh-cut fries. The free event will start at 9 a.m.
"We've partnered with Lambton Central Petrolia Optimist Club and the Petrolia Lions Club because they are able to, out of a food truck, safely wrap food for people to take with them," said Director of Arts and Communications Laurissa Ellsworth.
Under Stage 2 of the province's reopening plan, which came into effect on June 30, Ellsworth said there should be some form of live music at the market as well.
Ellsworth said the farmer's market has been doing very well as residents are eager to get back to normal summertime outings.
"The first weekend, a lot of vendors were virtually sold out of product about an hour or so before we closed," she said. "[On June 19] we were sold out of strawberries in record time so I would say that any of the restrictions in place to keep people safe and social distanced hasn't prevented people from shopping."
Residents interested in checking out local art, craft, food, and drink vendors will soon be able to visit the Petrolia Tuesday Night Market, which will launch on July 6.
Ellsworth said conversations about a different style of the market started in 2019 as the Saturday market didn't leave a lot of room for artisans.
"We thought of launching it in 2020 and then, of course, many plans were cancelled in 2020 so we kept the idea on the back burner," she said. "[We] decided that this would be a good year to try it out as many people are looking for options to get out."
Roughly 12 to 14 vendors are confirmed for the first Tuesday Night Market. However, Ellsworth said that number will likely grow as there is space for approximately 20 vendors. Interested vendors are encouraged to visit the market's website for application forms.
The Tuesday Night Market will operate at the same location as the Saturday market, 396 Fletcher St., from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. every Tuesday until August 31.
