Granville Island's Farmer's Market
A Great Outdoor Shopping Experience in Vancouver, BC
In Vancouver, British Columbia, Granville Island hosts perhaps one of the best outdoor markets found in the City. Open every Thursday starting in June, the Granville Island Farmer's Market offers fresh produce, plants, and flowers every week. Running until October, the market opens from 9 am to 3 pm each Thursday at the east end of the Public Market. The Public Market and adjoining Net Loft are open seven days a week.
A Strawberry Concrete Truck
The Granville Island Farmer's Market is known for sales of organically grown strawberries. Ocean Concrete, a local company, decided to pitch and publicize the community market in an unusual way. It's a fully functional concrete truck outfitted as an oversized strawberry and the driver must love the attention he receives while making deliveries to local contractors.
Folks at the Granville Island Farmer's Market have developed a number of important statistics concerning the Ocean Concrete Strawberry Truck based on its carrying capacity. The Kenworth tandem truck equipped with a 350 horsepower Caterpillar engine can carry a 26,300 kilogram, 11 cubic meter payload. In terms of strawberries, it could carry an equivalent of:
- 1,014,120 strawberries representing some 5,273,456 calories
- The strawberries would provide 676,080 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin C
- They could be used to make185,000 servings of strawberry shortcake or
- 66,000 litres of strawberry ice cream or more importantly
- 405,000 strawberry margaritas
Public Market Tours
If the Farmer's Market isn't enough, another unique option available for visitors is to participate in a guided tour of the Granville Island Public Market. Tours are hosted each week by Edible British Columbia at 8:30am, alternating between each Wednesday and Saturday. The tour promises to introduce guests to new culinary ingredients, exotic foods, and seasonal favorites. An Edible British Columbia Tour includes:
- Three hours at the Granville Island Public Market and surrounding environs
- Sampling of select fresh regional foods
- Consumer tips for selection of fine foods and their preparation
- Local insights on neighborhood restaurants and culinary hot spots
The Granville Island Farmer's Market is a great source of fresh plants and foods for Vancouver residents and visitors alike throughout the growing season. Shoppers can stock up on bedding plants, flowering bulbs, and baskets in June. Fresh fruits and vegetables begin to arrive directly to the market, freshly picked from the farm in July. Granville Island is located in False Creek, across from Downtown Vancouver, below the south end of the Granville Street Bridge. Visitors can reach Granville Island by city bus, boat, car or even on foot.
