Four great places to shop local and handmade in Moose Jaw

The Handmade Shoppe in

Moose Jaw is the go-to stop for local products made entirely by local artisans in the Moose Jaw and Regina area — and the storefront on 30 Mackenzie Lane has something for everyone.

The store acts as a physical storefront for dozens of local makers, who pay a rental fee for space to display their products in the retail space. Handmade Shoppe carries all kinds of items, from handmade bath products to candles to decor, and everything inbetween. That means shoppers can pick up baked goods, crocheted water balloons and wooden planter boxes all at the same time. Operating hours are currently Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 4 p.m. Follow the Handmade Shoppe’s Facebook page for stock updates. Plenty of local vendors also bring their products to the Homegrown Farmer’s Market, an open-air market that sets up on Langdon Crescent, between Athabasca Street E and Cordova Street in the summer and fall. This year, the farmer’s market will feature all the usual vendors, including fresh produce, flowers, foodstuffs and more, including the continuously popular live music. Organizers anticipate between 20 and 40 vendors on the roster this year.

Markets are set to begin on May 29 and occur every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. until Oct. 9. COVID-19 rules are in place, and customers can learn more at mjhomegrownmarket. com. The third hub for shopping locally in Moose Jaw is the Wandering Market, a unique grocer at 461 Athabasca Street East that carries all kinds of local and organic food products sourced directly from over 180 different Saskatchewan farmers and producers.

The Wandering Market carries all the ingredients needed to stock the fridge, including meats, grains, dairy and other products that follow the storefront’s ethos to connect consumers with fresh and local food. In addition to the grocery part of the store, the market also carries various handmade products from local vendors as well and regularly delivers produce items to other communities in the province. To learn more about the Wandering Market, visit their website at thewanderingmarket.com or call 1 (306) 648-8067. And as one last must-stop in downtown Moose Jaw, Against the Grain is a new artisan gallery lined with a collection of handmade woodwork products and more from local makers.

The storefront is located at 220 Main Street North and carries plenty of rustic but sweet home decor items, like hanging macramé, signs with quirky sayings, carved wood statues and decorative cattle skulls lined with flowers. Also on the shelves are products like handmade soaps shaped like gemstones and soy candles made locally, and the front area of the shop has several furniture pieces on display from Harlen Woodcraft — benches, chairs, tables and unique display pieces. Against the Grain is also home to artist Alana Rempel of LaLa Tattoos, with a tattoo studio space in the rear of the store. Against the Grain is open on Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Keep up with new item stocks by following the store on Facebook or Instagram.

The Handmade Shop stocks these soy candles from White Lotus Candle Co., which are made at Buffalo Pound.

The Handmade Shoppe stocks all kinds of items, like these hot cocoa bombs from Farmhouse Sugar. The Homegrown Farmer’s Market sets up on Langdon Crescent every Saturday morning.

Owner Nadine Lee from the Wandering Market, with a selection of preserves available at the store on Athabasca Street E. A large part of Against the Grain’s store is dedicated to hand-carved furniture from Harlen Woodcraft.