Ross Ferry Farm Market Accounces
New Format for 2026 Season

The Ross Ferry Farm Market is entering its 12th season with a new approach designed to reflect changing realities while continuing to serve the community. After careful consideration, the Planning Committee has made the difficult decision to move away from our traditional weekly market format and focus instead on three special market events during the 2026 season. The markets will be held at the Ross Ferry Marine Park on Canada Day, the August long weekend, and the Labour Day long weekend.

 

Since its beginnings in 2015, the Ross Ferry Farm Market has evolved to meet the needs of both vendors and customers. During the pandemic, the market successfully adopted a Farm Gate model throughout the community, and in recent years the popularity of special event markets at the Marine Park demonstrated strong interest in bringing vendors together in a single location.
 

Over the past several years, the marketplace across Cape Breton has changed significantly. Vendors and customers now have more options than ever before, and larger regional markets often provide a scale and product variety that can be difficult for smaller rural markets to sustain. At the same time, we have seen a decline in vendor applications and product diversity for our weekly markets. While we remain grateful for the vendors who continue to support us, the number and variety of applications received this season are not enough to deliver the vibrant weekly market experience our community has come to expect.
 

Adding to these challenges, we have not yet received confirmation of the funding support that has traditionally helped offset marketing and operating costs. This support has played an important role in helping the market remain financially sustainable, and without it, operating a full weekly season would place the market at a financial loss.

We believe concentrating our efforts on three signature events will create a stronger experience for vendors, visitors, and the community. The 2026 market dates at the Ross Ferry Marine Park are:
 

July 1 – Canada Day 
August 2 - August Long Weekend
September 6 - Labour Day Long Weekend
 

While the format may be changing, our commitment to supporting local producers, artisans, and small businesses remains the same. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Ross Ferry this summer and celebrating another season together.
 

We are incredibly grateful to the volunteers, vendors, sponsors, funding partners, and customers who have supported the Ross Ferry Farm Market over the past 12 years. Your support has helped build something truly special for our community, and we look forward to continuing that tradition in a new way.