PHOTOESSAY: NOT YOUR MOTHER'S MARKET: DIVING INTO THE

HWY 85

WATERLOO

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NOT YOUR MOTHER’S MARKET:

DIVING INTO THE ‘HARVEST HOEDOWN’ AT ST JACOBS FARMERS’ MARKET

PREAMBLE & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN

‘This is like a scene out of ‘Yellowstone’,’ I exclaim to my TOQUE Partner, Cai Sepulis, as we wade through the crowd to get a better look. When we get closer to the action the sea of bodies parts – revealing a brilliant tableau that really could have come straight out of the popular cowboy-themed Paramount Network show or, possibly, the town of Stars Hollow.

To our left a large group of people done up in blue jeans, flannel shirts, and ten-gallon hats – cups of beer and cider in hand – laugh and joke and jostle. To our right, a sprightly milliner, dressed in a brown suede jacket decked out with foot-long tassels, models one of her fantastic hand-crafted cowboy hats to a couple of potential clients. In the background, the twangy sounds of a three-piece country band ring out above the din. And, straight ahead, what everyone has gathered around to witness: a valiant member of the crowd riding a large spinning, bucking, gyrating mechanical bull that – after an exciting (albeit short) ride – casts its human cargo onto the cushioned ground.

‘This is definitely a vibe,’ Cai almost gasps – mouth agape at all the magnificent sights and sounds. It's Friday night, late September, and Cai and I are attending the ‘Harvest Hoedown’ – a special evening event hosted by the St Jacobs Farmers’ Market. Folks have come to enjoy everything from live music and line dancing to craft beer and food vendors. But there's more: fire pits and harvest arrangements, picnic areas and rodeo clowns, and a fantastic array of vendors you wouldn’t usually find on a regular Market day. And also, of course, the aforementioned mechanical bull. It’s an ambitious affair. And – based on the massive turnout and countless smiles on folks’ faces – a successful one, too.

For most of us the St Jacobs Farmers’ Market is something to do on Thursday or Saturday mornings: a destination for hot cider and doughy apple fritters and fresh meat and produce and a vast array of craft and antique and artisan vendors. Events like the ‘Harvest Hoedown’ and the upcoming Sip and Shop Holiday Night Markets (visit stjacobsmarket. com for info) are turning on its head this broadly-held conception of what the Market is. It’s a brilliant strategy. But don’t take my word for it.

Make the trip out to the Market District and take a look for yourself.

(facing page) Live country music onstage at the Market’s Main Courtyard (this page, top to bottom) • A lil’ one getting rowdy on the mechanical bull • Sampling cider & spirits at the Spy Cider House & Distillery booth 53

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Georgia of Off The Block with some of her custom handmade hats

A welcoming rodeo clown greeting crowds at the front gates

A blooming onion from The Colossal Onion inside Peddlers Village

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(facing page, clockwise from top left) • Pints are pouring at the TWB Brewing stand • Autumnal flourishes outside the Market Tent • Enjoying food & drink in the Market’s Main Courtyard

(this page, top to bottom) • Belt buckles galore inside the Market Building • A box of fritters from The Fritter Co inside the Market Building • One of the many craft booths set up in the Market grounds

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(facing page, clockwise from top left) • More autumnal flourishes at the Main Courtyard • Cold cans of Stockyards Brewing suds • Dancing to live country in the Main Courtyard • Cozying up at the firepits in the Main Courtyard

(this page) • The Dark Horse Estate Winery trailer • A group of friends pose in front of an Instagrammable autumnal display

ST JACOB'S FARMERS' MARKET

878 WEBER ST N, WOOLWICH, ON stjacobsmarket.com