Saturdays are Market Square days in Swift Current
Market Square started with a vision and old-fashioned prairie community spirit and has grown into the anchor for Swift Current’s downtown every Saturday from mid-June to September, noted City of Swift Current CAO Susan Motkaluk at the recent 40 x 110 Swift Current Spring Tourism Show at the Sky Centre.
“Market Square has energy… Everyone knows Saturdays are Market days. People dance! It’s absolutely fascinating to see that energy on the square.”
Market Square was first envisioned in 2011 with the intention of contributing to the revitalization of the downtown as a place where families can have fun together.
“We didn’t start with a budget. We started with nothing but community spirit and a dream,” said Motkaluk of the 2011 launch for the project. At the recent Tourism Swift Current’s annual 49 x 110 Spring Conference, Susan Motkaluk, Market Square visionary, speaks.
By 2012, Market Square had partnered with the Swift Current and District Farmers Market with remarkable results.
“When we started reaching out to form partnerships, this is when things got really, really exciting. Having the Farmers Market join up, we moved our market to the next level. We can’t stop it now.
“[Vendors] put their heart and soul into getting their foods ready. They sell pies or cookies, or preserves, fresh produce, whatever. People spend a lot of time and energy to do that. When they’re loading up their vans and come to our market, they want to know they’re going to sell their stuff, that it’s going to be worth their while.”
Many vendors have sold out of product by early afternoon, but organizers are holding firm to the start time of 10 a.m.
“We had to say that we won’t start the market until a very specific time. It just seemed so competitive. People were coming in to buy the buns and the buns would sell out. We never anticipated that but it’s great to see.”
The vision that began without a budget now has the resources to regularly hire local musicians and even educational exhibits to provide crowd-drawing entertainment.
“Our budget is growing because what we do is we charge $25 for every table, and much to our surprise we have an overwhelming number of vendors show up last year. We reinvested the $25 and we were able to secure professional musicians, but even the amateurs… we had some folks come up out of the crowd and it was just dynamic – anything from jazz, country, blues, rock and roll.”
Attendance peaked at about 2,000 visitors, Motkaluk noted. There were three theme Saturdays throughout the season, including a Cruisin’ Show and Shine, Western Days and Trains, Planes and Spaceships. Most Saturdays also featured a miniature petting zoo and a bouncy attraction for the children.
“They come for the day. People bring their lawn chairs… celebrating that festive atmosphere. We’re really celebrating the spirit of our people and having people come together again, the community gathering.”
“What a positive spin-off for the downtown. It’s making it what it used to be – a vibrant downtown core. Saturdays are fun family days,” wrote Farmers Market manager Bep Hamer in a letter to the newspapers after an outstanding 2012 season.
“The work that has to happen to set up the market, they’re getting there at 6:30, 7 in the morning,” said Motkaluk. “The real large crowd starts to come around 10 a.m.
“It’s exciting because even for the locals that come every Saturday it is different, different vendors, different entertainment and slightly different energy.”
Market Square will open June 15 and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday until the end of September.
For more information call the City of Swift Current at 306-7782777 or visit City Hall.