Tomato Festival ~ Farmers Market ~ Kamloops, BC

Saturday morning means Farmers Market for many in Kamloops and this Saturday was no exception.  The weather was perfect with sunshine and great temperatures to visit the market and all that is going on, including the Tomato Festival.

Farmers Market in Kamloops, BC

Kamloops is known for its cattle industry, among others but did you know it was once known for the tomato industry?  For over 50 years, locally grown tomatoes and the canning industry were very important in Kamloops. 

Crowds gather for the tomato festival in Kamloops

Many gathered to visit the second annual Tomato Festival held at the Farmer’s Market.  This is a fundraiser for the TRU Friends of the Garden and focusing on the fact that tomatoes play a major role in our agricultural history, it sounds like a perfect fit.



Judges Maria Valana and Shirley Wells

The judges Maria Valana, Shirley Wells and Ernest Philips had the challenge of determining the winners of the 60 varieties of tomatoes, some of which I had never seen before. Who knew there were so many varieties of tomatoes?

Sampling the varieties of tomatoes

A donation given allowed visitors to taste the varieties on display and there was a steady stream of them ready to taste those delicious looking tomatoes.  For an added donation, visitors were able to sample tomato recipes from restaurants in the area, as well. There were several experts on hand to answer questions about gardening or preserving the tomatoes, a perfect opportunity to learn as they are the ones with the answers.

 

60 varieties of tomatoes offered for sampling

The areas we now know as Brocklehurst and North Kamloops were once mainly orchards and for added income the orchardists would grow vegetables between the rows of trees.  During the early 1900’s the best way to preserve these foods was canning so by 1915 a cannery opened in North Kamloops and by 1917 it was canning 20,000 tins of Kamloops tomatoes per year.



Entants in the Tomato Festival in Kamloops

Until the mid ‘50s, food processing was the third largest industry in BC after forestry and mining and Kamloops had two of the 15 tomato canneries of BC.  The industry had several changes in Kamloops over those years and the last cannery, owned by the Skelly family closed in 1959 after 44 years of operation.

Honey and Flowers for sale at the Farmers Market

Several other vendors participate weekly in the Farmer’s Market and the crowds are able to take advantage of locally grown produce, flowers and other special foods.  This sunny day made it even better to enjoy all that is offered at the market.  More information on the Farmers Market is given in a post from the past.

Vendors at Farmers Market in Kamloops

There are several vendors with their talents on display and for sale from art to jewelry to Sandi’s Biscotti and more.  It is great to know that there are so many talented people that makes it possible to buy locally and support our economy.  The Farmers Market has long been a way for them to be known and a great opportunity for new artists, too.



Overview of Farmers Market on St. Paul St. in Kamloops, BC

It is difficult to find information on the Kamloops canning industry of the past but I did find an article in “Kamloops, One Hundred Years of Community 1893-1993”.  John Stewart, the author of “The Rise and Fall of the Canning Industry in Kamloops” had some great information that I referred to for this blog.

A great place to visit in Kamloops and another reason to say there is no place like home.

Summer Events ~ PowWow ~ Downtown Merchant Market ~ Farmers Market ~ Wakeboarding ~ Highland Games ~ Hot Nites Car Show

We love Kamloops for many reasons and now that summer is officially over, I will show you some of those reasons.  We are a very diversified city with multi interests and there are events for all those interests.

Kamloopa PowWow 2010, Kamloops, BC

The Kamloopa Pow Wow is a celebration of the First Nations Culture and Heritage. It is an annual event held on the August long weekend at the Pow Wow Grounds on KIB just off the Yellowhead Highway at Shuswap Road.
It is one of the largest in Western Canada and has competitions in drumming, costumes and dancing. There are also many artisans there who offer native crafts and jewelry for sale. It is a great celebration where you can spend the day enjoying the entertainment. Concessions are there to grab a lunch or dinner at so you can spend the day. Enjoy more of the PowWow by clicking here.

Downtown Merchant Market, Kamloops, BC

The Kamloops Downtown Merchant Market in July is a great showing of the spirit of the downtown core, the heart of our city.  There is lots of participation by the merchants and sales galore.  You will see and hear live music daily, as well as magicians and Chris the Clown is a favorite with the kids.  The Daily News has some great pictures taken at the Market this year.

Wakeboarding Competition 2010, Kamloops, BC

The annual Wakeboarding competition Wake2Wakefest, draws many competitors to the beach and spectators, too.  There were over 60 competitors this year and I am sure with the success and enjoyment for the family entertainment, it will grow to be even bigger next year.  Watch their webpage for news on next years competition.

Riverside Park, Kamloops, BC

We have the wonderful Riverside Park and Thompson River and it is great to see it enjoyed by many with events such as this. There have been many years that we didn’t have a water show such as this and yet with a perfect venue, I wondered why.

Riverside Park, Waterskiing competition, Kamloops, 1967

In July 1967, we were enjoying a different kind of show down at Riverside Park on the Thompson River.  The park has changed a bit and the styles were different back then, but some things don’t change, we enjoyed the entertainment, they just didn’t have the wakeboard competitions happening yet !

Highland Games, Kamloops, BC

If you enjoy Highland dancing and the music of the bagpipes, you cannot miss the Kamloops Highland Games held here in July. The Games also include world championsin dancing and piping. The clan tents offer help to those interested in family geneology and history information. For more information, clik here.

Farmers Market, Kamloops, BC

The Kamloops Farmers Market has been around for many years and has become a tradition to many.  The garden fresh fruits and veggies as well as plants, bakery goods and all kinds of crafts are available twice a week during the season.  See more and learn more here.

Hot Nites in the City, Kamloops, BC

This great car and truck show is another tradition that has been around for awhile and doesn’t appear to be leaving soon. It has grown to be a big show, even though it isn’t held at night! Now that is another story, learn more about Hot Nites on my blog page.

This is just a sampling of some of the Summer Events that Kamloops has to offer. We’d have to be able to be in more than one place at a time if we were to see everything that there is. This will take a few summers, but that means there are more great things to look forward to. Just more reasons why we love Kamloops, there’s no place like home.

Farmers Market ~ Stuart Wood ~ Victoria St. ~ Northshore ~ Kamloops, BC

Kamloops, BC is one of the lucky ones, we have a Farmers Market three times a week through the season!  One happens on Wednesday, Friday evening and every Saturday morning.  Saturday’s Farmers Market begins bright and early between mid April and the end of October, you will find the local farmers, bakers and craftspeople setting up ‘shop’ for their big day.

Stuart Wood School, Kamloops, BC

The Saturday Farmers Market is held in front of the Stuart Wood Elementary School on the street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue as well as on the school grounds. This school opened in 1907, which was only 7 years earlier than the first Farmers Market, which was set up by the city council, but I don’t believe it was held here at the time !

The Farmers Market was closed down due to lack of interest after WW 1 but began again in 1978 and has been going strong ever since. I do believe it has been at this locations since then. There is a lot more information including recipes available on their webpage so clik here for more.

Farmers Market, St. Paul St., Kamloops, BC

It doesn’t take long and the shoppers are here and doing their shopping to enjoy the freshest of produce and baked goods.  There is just something great about shopping at the Farmers Market.  In season fruits and veggies are always a favorite.

 

Farmers Market, Kamloops, BC

Home producers as well as farmers bring their products to market here.  There are baked goods and specialty items like salsa, dog treats, and locally made noodles.  Bedding plants and dairy products, teas and coffee.  There is a big range of quality products available to everyone.  They are there from 8am to 2pm mid April to the end of October.

 

Music plays for the Farmers Market, Kamloops, BC

There are several artisans, home based businesses and community stalls here for your shopping pleasure, too.  Most of these display tents are parked on the school grounds and the music for one and all to enjoy plays from the corner of the school playground.

 

 Artisans, Home Based Businesses, Community Stalls, Kamloops, BC

The Farmers Market is a non-profit society that offers bursaries to three students who are enrolled in either horticulture or agriculture courses every year.  They also support the local Food Bank, so our support of the Farmers Market, also helps others.  It’s a win-win.

Farmers Market, Victoria St., Kamloops, BC

On Wednesdays you can wander down Victoria St. between 4th and 5th Ave. and find booths set up for more shopping. There is a smaller group here, but several that make the trip worth it. The sell crafts and jewelry, local organic produce and fresh fish. This market is open 8am to 2pm from the end of April to the end of October.

Farmers Market, Kamloops, BC

One more Farmers Market happens on the North Shore on Fridays from 3:30pm to 9pm, (although another source said it was 4pm to 8pm). It is located at the new Spirit Square, which is on McDonald Ave and King near Holway Ave. You’ll find produce, eggs, coffee, crafts and hanging baskets. This is a new market and with our support will surely grow over the years, too. Their year ends October 1, clik here to check out the NSBIA webpage for the hours next spring.

Local merchants always appreciate the support we give to them, not just in the summer time, many have products available year round. So let’s do our best to support those that work hard and offer us the results of their hard work, especially when it so available to us! This is one of the reasons we love Kamloops, there is just no place like home.