Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market permanently moving to the Landmark District in 2024

The Kelowna Farmers’ and Crafters’ Market (KFCM) will begin life at a new home in the spring.

After nearly three decades at the corner of Springfield Road and Dilworth Drive, the biweekly outdoor summer market will make the permanent move to the Landmark District in April.

KFCM board president Allie Becker told KelownaNow that the market has been looking for a new home for years, as their current space had not been serving their needs to its fullest capacity.

The search got a little more urgent when the lot was put up for sale at the start of the year, but that’s when the Stober Group entered the picture.

“Stober reached out to us quite a few months ago with a proposition for us to move into their existing space,” Becker explained.

There’s no definitive map yet of how the KFCM will look in its new home and market manager Frances Callaghan will have a busy winter ahead figuring out those plans.

But Becker indicated that they will utilize the parking lot space where the Tree of Hope usually goes, along with the new courtyard between Landmark 3 and Landmark 7.

That will do nicely for Wednesday market, and talks are ongoing with the City about potentially closing sections of Dickson Avenue and Dayton Street to accommodate the larger Saturday market.

“We know at first there will be some things to kind of work through, but we're very confident and so appreciative of the Stober Group reaching out to us,” noted Becker.

Stober isn’t just looking at this as a short-term solution either, as Becker told KelownaNow that the company wants to incorporate a year-round home for the KFCM in their future development plans as well.

That is a long-term plan that will likely take a few years to come together, but it certainly has Becker and the rest of the KFCM team excited for the future of the market at the Landmark District.

It has Stober excited as well, with COO Lisa Lock calling it more than just a relocation, but a vision of how the company sees the Landmark District evolving.

“The inclusion of the KFCM is central to this vision, adding more vibrancy and life to the District," Lock explained. "Their presence is pivotal in making this community a bustling hub, enriching our ongoing commitment to local farmers, artisans, small business and the community at large."

For now, the KFCM will finish the outdoor season at their current location before moving indoors at Parkinson Recreation Centre after October.

In April, they will debut at the Landmark District and that may not be the only exciting change coming in 2024.

Becker says there have been preliminary talks about adding a second Satellite Market on Thursday nights in July and August.

It’s not yet known whether that would happen downtown like the Sunday Satellite Market, as it’s still in the initial planning stages, but the City, KFCM board and vendors all have the appetite for that type of addition.

As the KFCM and City continue to work together to implement these changes and additions as smoothly as possible, Becker spoke glowingly of the support the market has received from the City this year.

“It’s really the first time ever that we’ve had this kind of support directly from the mayor and council,” she explained. “We’ve just been so appreciative of everything they’ve been able to help us with as well.”