937 lbs of Food Donated to Food Bank
By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
The annual Christmas Market hosted by the Lion’s Head Farmers’ Market continued to be a popular Christmas activity. On 23 and 24 November 2024, over 1,200 persons visited the Market over the two day event. Families, friends, neighbours and visitors took the opportunity to stock up on local goods and to socialize with each other.
Shoppers praised the high quality of the products and loved having a huge selection of items to choose from. Some locals said with the ongoing postal strike, they saw this event as a great opportunity to find unique and locally made gifts and avoid any shipping hassles. Some patrons returned on the second day to stock up on food items for their Christmas meals and to purchase gifts they saw the previous day but needed to think it over to make final decisions.
On entering the Market, patrons were greeted by seasonal theme music performed by the ever-favorite Market Band. On Saturday at noon, the SweetWater Harmony Choir of Miller Lake made a guest appearance. Families and friends sat on the red Muskoka chairs, chatting, indulging in tasty foods and listening to the music.
The Christmas Market held at Summer House Park featured over 35 vendors. Booths were located in the rustic but festively decorated Recreation Hall Lodge and in the Outdoor Canadiana Market located in the area immediately outside the Hall, offering the space to browse and meet up with friends. A new offering by Tagwerk Brewery of mulled apple cider lent a European flair to the Market and received rave reviews. The hot-off-the-grill sandwiches made by Chef Rob, offered a hot meal to warm up the chilly November day. And the many desserts being offered up, from baklava, tarts, cookies to pies, were a crowd favorite, the sweet treats a must have at this Christmas Market.
Organizers were thrilled with the turnout, saying that having the Market on Sunday offered the locals who worked on Saturday an opportunity to come out on Sunday and shop and partake in the festivities.
The Market is quickly becoming known as an excellent quality Christmas Market and draws visitors from Sarnia, Meaford, Shallow Lake, Kitchener, London, Owen Sound, Hepworth, locals inviting their families and friends for a weekend visit, and cottagers keen to experience the Christmas Market. This year, the Market drew lots of first-time visitors. The Market has become a source of pride with the Vendors; daily social media posts highlighting vendors and word of mouth by vendors and past patrons have made the Market an important event on the Christmas calendar on the Bruce.
The Christmas Market is free to attend, but patrons were invited to bring a donation of non-perishable food items. Generous patrons donated over 937 lbs of food to the Lion’s Head and District Food Bank.
