It's all happening at your Marché Moncton Market, so come on down!

A13

Margaret Patricia Eaton

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Forget about sleeping in on Saturday mornings.

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There is just too much happening at 120 Westmorland Street, the downtown home of Marché Moncton Market. The doors are open at 7 a.m. through to 2 p.m., so you can meet your friends for breakfast in the Food Court, and then do some serious shopping. Terri Simon, a member of the Board of Directors, says "It's an exciting and dynamic place to be. We have more and more vendors. We're up to 120 now, and more and more shoppers return every week."

Lucy McKinley is one of those shoppers "" a satisfied one at that. "I love everything about the market," she says, "but I especially come to buy homemade bread, pickles and jam."

Her friend, Kathleen Dennis agrees. She likes the bread too and says, "The cinnamon rolls are just like the ones my mother used to make." Dennis shows off an attractive bracelet which appears to be two-tone white and yellow gold. "It's really made of stainless steel and it's a magnetic bracelet for treating arthritis," she says, "which I bought here at the market. I wear it all the time and since I started wearing it, I've felt 100 per cent better."

In addition to the food, there seems to be an endless array of unique, locally produced items. There's interesting jewelry, cosy knitted and quilted goods, intricate stained glass pieces, Christmas decorations, children's books, scented candles, beautifully carved wood items, dried flower arrangements and the opportunity to talk with the people who produce them. As Dennis notes, "You get to meet all kinds of interesting people, from all walks of life."

John Beck, market manager since 1986, is looking forward to the return of fresh local produce. "We're just coming into fresh strawberry season," he says, "and there'll be lots of fresh local veggies before mid-July. We have eggs from free-range hens and organically grown vegetables. Already we're so full that we're using our outside lots."

Inside, the Food Court is expanding. Vendors who have been with the market since Beck arrived include Lebanese Plus, who feature samosas and chicken wraps and Kurt's Sausage Stall, which features, well, sausages, of course, as well as Margaret Arns' special quiche. But their number and their hours are increasing and there's a huge variety of both ethnic and traditional North American cuisines. It seems everyone knows "Nick the Dutch Baker" and his family who make and sell delicious bread, cakes and cookies. And what's even better, he'll let you try a small sample. Two popular choices, Shangrilla and Happy Wok have set up shop permanently and now serve lunch from Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

During the summer, the City of Moncton will present Artists at the Market, a performance series on the outdoor stage, giving market-goers a chance to enjoy diverse forms of music, dance and theatrical entertainment, all free. DansEncorps will kick off the entertainment line-up as part of the Atlantic Dance Festival on Saturday, June 27. Colette McLaughlin, Community Development Officer, is in the process of confirming the program through to the end of August. She says, "Some of the performers include Bob White on banjo, Chris Mersereau & Friends, the Dixie Land Ramblers and Aequilibrium, a brass quintette. The young dance troupe, DansEncorps will be back in August, as will students from the summer Capitol Theatre School of Performing Arts."

So whether you are looking for freshly squeezed carrot juice, locally produced honey and maple syrup, a one-of-a-kind craft item, the first strawberries of the season, a chance to see and hear local talent or just to get a really good cup of coffee and chill out with friends, Marché Moncton Market is definitely the place to be on Saturday morning.

Marché Moncton Market is located at 120 Westmorland Street, just off Main. It's open Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and for lunch only, Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Artists at the Market perform Saturday, 11 a.m. or noon. See www.marchmonctonmarket.ca for details.