Monday, August 24, 2015

to market, to market

It is all farmland around the hamlet of Keady and the place itself is really, really small. Apart from the two cross roads (county roads [Grey] 3 and 16) 
there are only two other streets with maybe a couple dozen houses and a couple hundred inhabitants.
there is a church
and even a restaurant

but we are visiting on Tuesday - when it is market day.
I had been told, as an aside while at the cottage I was visiting, that there was a farmer's market. Nothing could have prepared me for this place. I had naively thought it might be nice to go to a farmer's market that was truly local (as opposed to goods being trucked into a city market as I am used to) though pretty much every community in Grey-Bruce has a farmer's market on one day of the week. But none are quite like this one.
it is more than a farmer's market, or even a livestock market. it is also a flea market. and antiques market. and, some might say, a junk market. on a good weather day - because this is all outdoors and held rain or shine - there could be up to 250 vendors. in other words, there could be more vendors than residents, then add the thousands of people wandering through...











some vendors were helping out neighbours in Owen Sound (10 miles away) where recently a spate of arson had destroyed ten homes








This place is huge. I have now wandered it four times (and still not made it into the livestock market) and every year, though I now have some favourite vendors, there is always something new to see. I'm not sure how the real locals feel about this weekly event that draws thousands of tourists. The size of the market grounds, including the field for parking all those hundreds of cars, is larger than the area devoted to the residents of Keady itself. If you do go to the market, make sure to stop for a bite to eat at Maria's, the only restaurant in town, before you leave.

see a marketplace of walks at Restless Jo's
and Monday Escapes
and more signs at signs, signs 

28 comments:

  1. That's some market! I guess Maria might get a bit busy if everyone stopped by her restaurant....
    Anabel's Travel Blog

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  2. I'll have some blueberries, raspberries and some corn please! And keep the change for the disaster fund :) Can you believe some people?
    It looks like a car boot sale to me. :) Many thanks for the share, Violet!

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    1. I always buy honey at markets - every beekeeper's honey tastes a little different so I have a collection of honey jars!

      (and, three people have now been arrested for setting the fires)

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  3. I don't know where to begin. I have really enjoyed this visit. I love that church, the restaurant looks like our type of place. And I would love to wander through that flea market. I love places like that, not just all the time.

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    1. I thoroughly enjoy going here on my once a year stay at the cottage. That is enough for me! The restaurant is really neat - and very reasonably priced :)

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  4. What a cool place! And I love, love, love the farmers market. There is something really special about wandering around talking to the people who grow your food from the earth. Love it!

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    1. and I find the food is much tastier than from the supermarket.
      Thanks for visiting!

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  5. Absolutely wonderful! I'd really enjoy that.

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  6. Replies
    1. I was completely blown away the first time I went!

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  7. Looks like a sweet place in a gorgeous setting. Adore the colours and vibes of a market day.

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  8. Looks like quite the active spot. Tom The Backroads Traveller

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    1. It was quite unbelievable that such a sleepy place could hold such a huge market.

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  9. Oh boy! That's my kind of market day!

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    1. Every other market looks kind of 'meh', after this!

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  10. I like that kind of market.

    FRANKLY MY DEAR

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  11. When you mentioned Farmer's market, I expected a small affair, too. Wow, that is one huge market. No wonder you can walk through it four times and still be lost! Thanks for linking up to #MondayEscapes

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    1. It was totally unexpected.
      And thanks for visiting.

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  12. Wow, that is so much bigger than our local farmers' market and our population is 70, 000! I'd love to shop there.

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    1. It's so much bigger than any market, anywhere, I think!

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  13. I've never heard of this one - and my brother and SIL live in Owen Sound (I did hear about the fires, though, what a horrible thing)

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    1. So, next you visit your brother and sil, make sure you're there over a Tuesday!

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  14. I'm thinking that the one busy day a week provides enough income to keep Marie's open for the rest of its hours. This sort of reminds of that neat British show, Ballykissangel.

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  15. I'm thinking that the one busy day a week provides enough income to keep Marie's open for the rest of its hours. This sort of reminds of that neat British show, Ballykissangel.

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