Nikkei Garden Farmers Market offers Japanese foods and artisan goods
Vendors at the Burnaby-based market sell fresh produce, desserts, crafts, and more
The last Nikkei Garden Farmers Market of the year will take place on Oct. 27 in Burnaby. (Yohani Weheragama)
The Nikkei Garden Farmers Market is taking place bi-monthly until Oct. 27 at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre in Burnaby.
The farmers market operates under the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets and features more than 30 booths exploring Japanese culture, foods, and traditions.
The market is for local farmers and artisans who “make, bake, [and] grow,” says Yumiko Li, organizer of the Nikkei Garden Farmers Market and event coordinators for the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre.
“Since we started, [we had] around 20 vendors. Now we’ve grown [and have] more vendors, like almost 40 vendors,” Li says. “Usually farmers markets are outside, but we have our own building, so we can use our garden and then also [be] indoors, [so it’s] half and half. This is very special.”
The market features a sprawl of booths with vendors — some of whom have been participating in the market since it launched during the COVID-19 pandemic — both inside and outside the building of the cultural centre.
Stalls at the market range from fresh produce sold by local farms, ready-to-eat food, baked and confectionery desserts, and potted plants to various artisan and skin-care products.
Interested attendees can check the centre’s website to see which vendors will be taking part in the upcoming markets.
Foods for sale at past markets included ramen, customized bagels, hotdogs, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and produce such as squash and garlic. Featured desserts have included chocolate-covered nuts, shaved ice, mochi buns, and pastries.
Participating vendors were selected through an open-call submission process, where businesses could apply to take part in the event and then the market would try to accommodate them, Li says.
Every market also features a performance or workshop, such as a Japanese dance troupe or instrumentalists.
The market supports the community by being part of BC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program, which the centre joined this year, Li says. The initiative supports lower-income families, pregnant people, and seniors through coupons that can be spent at participating markets in the province. Li says 100 or more coupons are used at each market.
She adds the centre has seen more people attending the market beyond just Burnaby residents, with customers visiting from Vancouver, Richmond, and the Tri-Cities.
The remaining markets will take place on Sept. 22, Oct. 13, and Oct. 27 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
For more information about the farmers markets and the cultural centre, visit centre.nikkeiplace.org/.
