If there's one rule I go by in judging a flea/farmer's market value, it's how many uni-brow-sporting Ukrainians can be found there. The general guideline is, the more Ukrainians the better the flea market. The logic for this is simple: the spirit of the flea market is the antithesis of formality. A flea market is like a big family gathering, where everybody brings something to the table - it's this simple spirit of the community that makes them unique to a grocery store or mall.
Calgary Flea Markets
Crossroads Market
Crossroads market started in NE Calgary, but it has truly found its home at the crux of Inglewood and Ogden. Based on my rule, this is the quintessential Calgary flea market - it's filled with Ukrainians who sell a variety of products including cheese, farm eggs, cabbage rolls, ham hocks and honey - not to mention, the retail section where you can purchase handmade clothes, wax candles, salvaged antiques, ancient electronics and giant plaster wizards. To be honest, Crossroads is a total mess - but that's what makes it enthralling - the place is totally human and it hums with the creative energy of people coming together to share their work and interests. The farmer's market is the best Calgary has to offer, the restaurants inside are totally family-run and the retail section is an attic-digger's dream of new and used items.
Calgary Flea Market
The first thing you'll notice about the Calgary Flea Market (located on Currie Barracks in SW Calgary), is a distinct lack of Ukrainians - never a good sign. My experience with the Calgary Flea Market is this: it feels like a flea market for people who don't like flea markets. It's way too clean, well-lit and while the stores do offer handmade crafts or food, it's not in any way similar to the kinds of things you'll find at Crossroads. The vendors do offer some great products, but they are of the commercial variety, and honestly, fairly expensive. At the Calgary Flea Market you can get gourmet chicken sausage from a company that has it's own website. Same goes for any of the retail products - everything is of the high-end variety - and considering the clientele are coming from Lakeview and Mount Royal - that's fine. Just don't expect the same kind of family-knit ambiance that glows in Crossroads.
Hillhurst-Sunnyside Farmer's Market
While smaller in scale than the prominent flea markets in Calgary, the Hillhurts-Sunnyside Farmer's Market (located at the Hillhurst community center) is filled with a wonderful variety of homemade products or antique items. The offerings are more focused on crafts than food, but the vendors are no less enthusiastic to talk to people about their handicrafts. The only real drawback (other than smaller size and less
Ukrainians) is that it's not open for very long (Wednesday evenings when it's warm out). Still, it's a great community-inspired market to check out.
Other Calgary flea markets
There are a few other smaller community-focused flea markets that I haven't been to, so I can't pass judgement. But, here's a bit more about them:
McKenzie Towne Farmers' Market (Open Thursdays in Calgary's SE)
ThornCliffe Greenview Farmers' Flea Market (Open Saturdays along Centre Street N)
Sweetgrass Market (Open weekdays and weekends in the deep SW of Calgary)
Just remember, If you come across one of these markets and there seems to be a high number of people with eyebrows that touch, you know you've struck flea market gold.
No comments:
Post a Comment