Year round (or almost) markets
ByWard Market
Daily, 9am to 5pm, year round
One of the oldest and largest farmers’ markets in Canada, the ByWard Market is within walking distance of Parliament Hill and many downtown hotels. Surrounded by historic buildings, you can browse for fresh produce, flowers and more any day of the year, except for Christmas and New Year's Day! Don't miss the nearby stores specializing in cheeses, meat, seafood, spices, oils and other gourmet ingredients. Additional vendors set up their stalls along York Street in the neighbourhood on Saturdays from early May to early October (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
Parkdale Market
Daily, April to October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; night market on Wednesdays June to August, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; plus seasonal specials
The historic Parkdale Market, founded in 1924, is in vibrant Wellington West, not far from the Tunney’s Pasture O-Train station in the lively Hintonburg neighbourhood. As well as fresh foods of all kinds, it’s a great place to shop for planters, hanging baskets and bedding plants in spring, and Christmas trees and wreaths from late November to Christmas Eve.
Ottawa Farmers’ Market
Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., year round; plus extended December hours
The weekly Ottawa Farmers’ Market (OFM) is held year round at Lansdowne Park in the central Glebe neighbourhood. The event normally features more than 100 vendors based within 100 kilometres of Ottawa, as well as local food retailers and artisans. The stalls are outdoors from spring through fall and inside the historic Aberdeen Pavilion in cooler weather. In December, the OFM expands to Saturdays and Sundays for its holiday edition, plus there's a separate and festive outdoor Christmas market as well.
Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon, year round
You can find organic products at many markets, but all of the vendors at the Ottawa Organic Farmers’ Market are passionate about organic agriculture. This event, which started in 1989, is held at Riverside United Church in Ottawa’s near south end.
Seasonal markets
Urban flavours
Several lively urban neighbourhoods near the city centre host weekly markets from roughly May through October, including:
- Beechwood Market (Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) in the traditionally francophone but increasingly multicultural Vanier area near New Edinburgh;
- Old Ottawa East Farmers’ Market (Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon) in a rapidly changing neighbourhood bordered by the Rideau River and the Rideau Canal;
- Westboro Market (Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) where Ottawa Farmers' Market vendors sell their wares in a park in Westboro Village, one of Ottawa’s trendiest ‘hoods.
Suburban settings
Just outside the city's greenbelt, several suburbs host weekly markets from roughly May through October, including:
- Orléans Market (Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) in the east end, featuring vendors from the Ottawa Farmers' Market;
- Barrhaven Market (Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) in the south end, also hosted by the Ottawa Farmers' Market;
- Kanata Farmers’ Market (Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) in the west end;
- Stittsville Market (Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in the west end;
- Barrhaven Farmers’ Market (Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) held at a working heritage farm with farm animals and family-friendly activities in Ottawa’s Greenbelt.
Countryside communities
The large area around Ottawa—where most farms are located—hosts market events with a countryside flare:
- Manotick Farmers’ Market (Saturdays, early June to early October, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) held in a picturesque Rideau River village just south of Barrhaven where you can also check out a working 19th-century gristmill;
- Metcalfe Farmers’ Market (Saturdays, early May to early October, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in the city's southeast at the Metcalfe Fairgrounds, the site of one of Ontario’s oldest agricultural fairs (it dates back to 1856!);
- Carp Farmers’ Market (Saturdays, early May to October, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in the west-end village of Carp, which is also home to the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum, a fascinating former military bunker;
- Cumberland Farmers' Market (Saturdays, early June through fall, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) in a community east of Orléans;
- Navan Market (once a month on a Sunday, April through November, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) in a community south of Orléans.
