The growing season on this part of the coast runs long, and the food culture follows it. There is farm country fifteen minutes south of Nanaimo, a market season that stretches well past where it ends in most of the country, and a night market that takes over a downtown street in summer.

For people arriving from a city, the surprise is not that the markets exist. It is how close the farms are, and how much of what is on the table came from within half an hour.

Here is where to find it.

Where are the farmers markets around Nanaimo?

  • The Cedar Farmers Market. South of the city in the farm country, and the one most people make the trip for. It sits in the middle of the area actually growing the food, which is the difference between a farmers market and a market with farmers at it.
  • Beban Park. A market runs at the Beban Park complex through the season, centrally located and easy to fold into a normal week.
  • The Nanaimo Night Market. Summer only, on Commercial Street downtown, and a different thing entirely: street food, makers, and music in the evening rather than produce in the morning.

Market days and seasons shift, so check current times before making the drive.

The farm country south of town

The area around Cedar and Yellow Point is the agricultural heart of this part of the Island, and it is closer to the city than most newcomers realise. Fifteen minutes from downtown puts you among working farms.

What that means in practice is farm gates and roadside stands through the season, several of them run on the honour system with a cash box and a sign. Eggs, produce, flowers, and berries in season. It is one of the small things that makes living here feel different from a city, and it is worth driving the back roads once in August simply to see what turns up.

The area is also where a good share of the people wanting acreage or a semi-rural setting end up looking. More on that in our Cedar page.

What grows well here

The mild coastal climate and the long dry summer support a considerably wider range than most of Canada. Berries do well, as do apples, plums, and the full run of vegetables. The dry-summer pattern is the same one that supports the wine industry in the Cowichan Valley an hour south, and lavender, figs, and grapes all grow on this part of the coast.

The season is long at both ends. Local produce starts early in spring and carries deep into autumn, and there is winter growing here too, so the markets do not simply vanish for half the year the way they do elsewhere.

There is more on the climate behind all this in the month by month weather guide.

Beyond the markets

  • Seafood. Being on the coast means access to local shellfish and salmon in season, and the harbour is a working one rather than decorative.
  • The Cowichan Valley. An hour south, and the Island's wine and farm country proper. An easy day out with tasting rooms and farm gates. See the guide to day trips from Nanaimo.
  • Coombs. West toward Port Alberni, with the market known for goats grazing on its roof. Worth the stop.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a farmers market in Nanaimo?

Yes, several. The Cedar Farmers Market sits south of the city in the farm country and is the one most people make the trip for. A market also runs at Beban Park through the season, and the Nanaimo Night Market takes over Commercial Street downtown in summer.

When is the farmers market season around Nanaimo?

Longer than in most of the country, because the growing season is. Local produce starts early in spring and carries deep into autumn, and there is winter growing here as well. Market days and seasons do shift, so check current times before making the trip.

Where is the farm country near Nanaimo?

Around Cedar and Yellow Point, roughly fifteen minutes south of downtown. It is the agricultural heart of this part of the Island, with working farms, farm gates, and roadside stands through the season, several run on the honour system.

What grows well on Vancouver Island?

A considerably wider range than most of Canada, thanks to the mild coastal climate and long dry summer. Berries, apples, plums, and the full run of vegetables all do well, and lavender, figs, and grapes grow on this part of the coast. The same dry-summer pattern supports the wine industry in the Cowichan Valley an hour south.

What is the Nanaimo Night Market?

A summer evening market on Commercial Street downtown, built around street food, makers, and music rather than produce. It is a different thing from the daytime farmers markets and is worth catching while the season is on.

Getting to know the area

How close you are to the farm country is one of the quieter differences between areas here. The Moving to Nanaimo hub covers what living here is like across the board, the Nanaimo Neighbourhood Guide walks through the areas, and you can book a quick call with Travis or Kiel to talk it through.