At the very heart of the downtown core is the Hamilton
Farmer’s Market, located within Jackson Square.
Originally founded in 1837, the Farmer’s Market has been in its current
location next to the Hamilton Public Library since 1980. The market has always been a favourite sport
of mine to visit and explore, and there is no shortage of exotic flavours to
savour and gifts to gather.
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| Hamilton Farmer's Market and Public Library, Downtown Core |
In 2011, the Farmer’s Market was completely renovated to
accommodate the ever growing number of vendors.
The market is a community gathering place that features:
- 70 vendors
- Fresh foods prepared on site
- Community kitchen for cooking demonstrations and events
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| Bustling Market |
Offering fresh and local produce, meat and cheese delis,
coffee stands and sweet treats, artisan gifts, florists and wine…you can find
whatever you’re looking for at the Hamilton Farmer’s Market! Whether you plan on filling your shopping
bags (reusable, I hope!) or not, it’s worth checking out for the people-watching
alone.
In 2014, The Hamilton Farmer’s Market held a competition to
select a permanent Public Art installation to be installed near the east
entrance of the Market. With an aim to
identify the location of the Market and express the spirit and qualities of the
market to visitors, the art installation was to be reflective of one or more of
the following:
- a people place where visitors and stall holders interact to create a welcoming sense of community;
- diverse; offering a unique variety of foods, merchandise and cultural experience;
- a continually evolving community of innovative small businesses;
- a Hamilton institution with a long and rich history that inspires loyalty in the community;
- a place where Hamiltonians are exposed to, educated about and connect with food and local agriculture
Of the 48 artists’ submissions reviewed by a jury of
volunteer citizens and artists, 6 submissions were short-listed for public
consultation. Among the short-listed
proposals was a submission by Kosa Kolektiv, a two woman team comprised of my
very good friend Olenka Kleban, and her artistic partner, Olenka Hawrylak. Their submission, entitled “Once Upon a Time
in Hamilton Farmer’s Market”, was voted into second place! The winner of the Art in Public Places
competition was Dave Hind with his proposed “Raise the Barn” installation,
expected to be installed in Spring 2015.
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| "Raise the Barn", by Dave Hind |
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| "Once Upon a Time in Hamilton's Farmer's Market", by Kosa Kolektiv |
See you there!
Larysa
For more information on the happenings of the Hamilton
Farmer’s Market, visit:
For more information on Olenka Kleban and her assorted
artwork, visit:
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