I love Salt Spring Island. My first memory of the island was a Saturday Market day.
I’d bussed over from visiting friends in Victoria (I lived in Vancouver at the time) and while I waited at the bus stop at the end of the day, I started eating the strawberries I’d bought. They were the best ones I’d ever had.
Brilliantly red, my fingers were stained and the juice was running down my arm. I ate two pounds.
Most memories from visits since are associated with food. A cheese farm tour at Salt Spring Island Cheese, fresh peppers being roasted in the rain at the market by Michael Ableman of Foxglove Farms, and a grand salmon BBQ at Mickey and Robbyn’s (the owners of Salt Spring Coffee, where I worked for two and a half years).
The Salt Spring Saturday market is far and away the best market in BC I’ve been too.
Filling the park with fresh food from island farms, art, music, woodwork, soap, pastries, entertainment, and adorable kids selling art. In Vancouver this weekend March 4th - 6th, back for it’s third year, is Salt Spring in the City, a curated pop-up village market held at Heritage Hall at 15th & Main. Friday 4 - 9, Saturday 10 - 6, Sunday 11 - 4.
With over thirty vendors go to meet Robert Prince, Manager of Salt Spring Coffee’s Ganges Cafe, and a Quilter. He has some beautiful creations. You’ll find food, clothing, paintings, ceramics, wine, cider and more. Salt Spring Island Cheese never shows up to events without a beautiful spread of their goat cheeses to try, you must have the garlic and lemon chevrès, they’re fantastic. Buy a Ruckles to stir into a white wine pasta sauce and impress all your friends. Or eat it all yourself. Their tasting room is where I found my favourite preserves, made by Melanie at Salt Spring Kitchen Co. (yes, everything on the island is called “Salt Spring” whatever it is. I used to joke when calling Salt Spring Cheese I should just say “Hi Cheese it’s Coffee.”). The Salt Spring Kitchen Co. spicy tomato jam has adorned almost every burger, breakfast sandwich and cheese plate ever since. Her Winter Wonderjam is great slathered on a salmon before it hits the BBQ, Meyer Lemon and Lavender is perfect with a cheese plate.
So if you’re like me and already daydreaming about April’s start to the Saturday Market, head to Salt Spring in the City for a taste of the local art, food, drink and people. It’ll be the best $4 (kids under 13 are free) you’ll spend on art appreciation this weekend. The first 25 people through the door each day receive a gift of Salt Spring Island goodies.
All the online things:
saltspringinthecity.com
Twitter @SaltSpringncity
Hashtag #ssinthecity
Facebook facebook.com/saltspringinthecity
Instagram @ssinthecity
