Wellington North Farmers’ Market 2026: Saturday Mornings in Mount Forest

Local produce, honey, baked goods and crafts on the old pool site, every Saturday all summer

📍 Get Directions Market Hours

Every Saturday morning from June through late September, the corner of Grant Street and Parkside Drive fills with local growers, bakers, and makers selling everything from fresh vegetables to freeze-dried candy, all a short walk from downtown Mount Forest.

🥕 Local produce & meats 🍯 Honey, baking & preserves 🎨 Handmade crafts 👨‍👩‍👧 Family-friendly outing

💡 The market sits on the site of Mount Forest’s former outdoor pool — there’s an open, level lot with room to browse, and it’s an easy stroll from Main Street if you want to make a morning of it downtown.

Why Go Market Days Vendors Getting There Tips Sell Here FAQ

✨ Why This Market Is Worth a Saturday Morning

Mount Forest calls itself “High, Happy and Healthy,” and Wellington North markets itself as an agricultural hub where you can still see horse-and-buggy traffic on the back roads. Nowhere is that identity more visible than on Saturday mornings, when the corner of Grant Street and Parkside Drive turns into a working showcase of what the township actually grows and makes.

This isn’t a market built around entertainment or big crowds — it’s closer in spirit to a good farm stand that’s grown to fill a parking lot. Since it started up in 2014, it’s built a reputation as one of the stronger markets in Wellington County, largely because the same core of local growers and food producers has stuck with it season after season, alongside a rotating cast of craftspeople and home bakers.

The Township of Wellington North runs the market directly rather than handing it off to a private organizer, which explains a few things: it’s tightly regulated (every vendor signs off on rules and regulations, and food vendors go through a public health review), it’s free to attend, and it’s backed by local sponsors like the Taste Real program and Wellington North’s own Cultural Roundtable rather than corporate money. For anyone in Mount Forest, Arthur, or the surrounding countryside, it’s a low-key, reliable reason to get downtown on a Saturday.

🗓️ Market Days & Hours

The 2026 season opens Saturday, June 13, and runs every Saturday morning through late September — the 2025 season closed on September 27, so expect a similar late-September finish, though the exact closing Saturday hadn’t been confirmed on the township’s site as of this writing.

There’s no ticketed schedule or headline act here — it’s a rolling market morning. Vendors typically have their best selection early, but the market runs a full three and a half hours, so there’s no need to rush the opening bell.

🧺 Who You’ll Find at the Market

The lineup shifts a little year to year, but the market’s 2025 season gives a good sense of what’s typically on offer — a mix of working farms, home-based food producers, and local craftspeople. Expect roughly 15 to 20 vendor stalls on a given Saturday.

Big John’s Country Market — produce, beef & pork Full Circle Farm — fruit, veg & preserves Applebottom Orchards — hard cider The Farm Bees — unpasteurized honey & flowers Mount Forest Mushrooms — gourmet mushrooms Shady Lawn Bakery — bread, tarts & buns Auxiliary to Louise Marshall Hospital — coffee & baking The Raw Carrot — frozen soups Tim Koechl — freeze-dried candy Brenda’s Embroidery — linens & sewn goods Lots of Dots — acrylic dot art & quilts Caitlin Van Meer — crochet toys & plushies Fresh Cup of Joel — ceramics & pottery Matthew Kyle Martin — flowers & fall mums Maria Martens — lotions & hygiene products

🚗 Getting There & Parking

The market sets up at 393 Parkside Drive, on the corner of Grant Street, at the site of Mount Forest’s former outdoor pool — a short walk from the town’s Main Street shops if you want to combine the trip with some downtown browsing.

By car: Mount Forest sits at the junction of Highways 6 and 89, roughly 30–40 minutes from Guelph, Owen Sound, or Fergus. The former pool site is an open, paved and grassed lot with room for on-site parking; overflow street parking is available along Parkside Drive and Grant Street if needed.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

💵 Bring cash as a backup. Small-town market vendors don’t all carry card readers, and connectivity in Mount Forest can be spotty on a busy Saturday — a bit of cash keeps things simple.

🕗 Go early for produce, go mid-morning for atmosphere. Fruit and vegetable stalls tend to sell their best pieces first; if you’re more interested in browsing crafts and chatting with vendors, 10 to 11 a.m. is a comfortable window.

🧺 Bring your own bags. It’s a small courtesy that goes a long way at a market this size, and most vendors appreciate not having to supply packaging for every purchase.

🌦️ Check the weather, not a cancellation notice. This is an outdoor, open-lot market with no covered pavilion, so dress for the morning’s forecast — light rain won’t typically stop it, but it’s worth a quick look at the market’s Facebook page if the forecast looks rough.

🚶 Pair it with a downtown walk. Mount Forest’s Main Street is close enough to turn a market visit into a longer morning out — grab a coffee downtown before or after.

Want to Sell at the Market? 🧑‍🌾

The Township of Wellington North is always looking for new vendors, from established farms to home-based crafters. Every vendor completes an application and agrees to the market’s rules and regulations, and food vendors go through an additional public health review through Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.

❓ Common Questions