Boyce Market To Reopen June 6, Night Market Won’t Open At All This Year
FREDERICTON – The city has announced that the Boyce Farmers Market will open in three phases, with the first one beginning on June 6 when essential food and grocery vendors will return to the market.
Phase I will include 40 grocery vendors who offer meat, vegetables and other essential food items. Phase II will include prepared food vendors and the outside Food Court, while crafters and artisans will be invited back for Phase III. The time between each phase will not be mandated in advance, although is anticipated to be two to three weeks.
Stacey Russell, Manager of Fredericton Tourism and Chair of Newmarket Properties, said the slow and methodical approach to reopening is designed to protect the public.
“Our goal is to open as much of the market as we can, but we must do it safely,” said Russell in a release. “We’ll do it as fast as we can, but safety will continue to be our primary concern.”
The only entrance will be 665 George Street, where a washroom will be dedicated to handwashing and staff will direct shoppers to follow one-way directional signage. All vendors will wear community facemasks, and customers are strongly encouraged to do so as well. Additional staff will be on hand to ensure washrooms, doors and other high-touch surfaces are sanitized regularly.
Eighty shoppers will be allowed in the market buildings at one time.
“Limiting the number of vendors and shoppers will affect the atmosphere of the market, which will not be as crowded and bustling as usual,” said Russell. “Finding a way to re-open while respecting social distancing guidelines was a huge challenge, and we trust market patrons will adapt to shopping without socializing, allowing us to move safely to Phases II and III.”
During Phase I the market will open at 7 am and close at 1 pm.
Garrison Night Market Won’t Open This Summer
The popular Thursday night market has been suspended for the 2020 summer season because of provincial restrictions on large gatherings and maintaining physical distancing.
The open-air market that draws several thousand to the downtown core every week has multiple access points from the streets, green spaces and parking lots surrounding the site. After thoroughly reviewing numerous options, the city decided it can’t safely manage crowd size to meet current social distancing requirements.
“The decision to suspend operations was not made lightly,” said Russell in a release. “The market is very densely packed with people. Ensuring public safety is our top priority, and the night market’s popularity as a community gathering spot necessitates this temporary closure.”
The two-year-old market had quickly become a popular weekly event, drawing up to 8,000 people into the downtown on Thursdays from mid-June to mid-September.
“We’re hugely disappointed that we can’t run the market this summer and we know it will be a difficult and disappointing decision for many of our vendors and the public,” said Russell. “But those people who have come to the market over the past two years and know how tremendously successful and crowded it has been will understand that the risk is simply too great. On a good night, we’ve seen upwards of 6-8,000 people.”