Lake Cowichan’s Downtown Renewal Society is stepping up to breathe some life into the new Ts’uubaa-asatx Square as they prepare for the town’s first Downtown Summer Market.
The weekly markets will begin to pop up on May 16 and run each Saturday until Labour Day weekend in September, for four hours each.
As the date draws closer, Downtown Renewal Society spokesperson Jennifer Pollner said the group’s plans for the market continue to grow, with plans for live music and food vendors being set. The group is also hoping to work with the local First Nation to have the carving of the totem pole take place during the market.
The Downtown Market will feature vendors from Lake Cowichan and beyond, each selling local art, homemade crafts, home-baked goods and produce. Aside from the usual market fare, the group is also hoping to host local non-profit groups.
“We’re basically looking for anything that’s not commercially made,” Pollner said. “Basically the same as other markets; you can sell anything you make, bake or create.”
The Downtown Renewal Society is currently seeking applications from vendors to take part in the market, and preparing for their adjudication process.
Having recently celebrated becoming an official society, Pollner said the group has received a huge amount of support from the community.
“We’ve had a lot of people talking about [the market], asking to be vendors and keeping the conversation going,” she said. “We’ve had about 50 applications taken out, and we’re hoping to get a lot of them back.”
Applications for the Downtown Market can be found online on the Lake Cowichan Downtown Renewal Society’s Facebook page.