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Riley Park Pavilion


The original Riley Park Farmers Market, July 2009
Deep Roots in Riley Park

Vancouver Farmers Markets has been part of the Riley Park neighbourhood since 2008, when we launched our first Wednesday market at the site of the old Riley Park Community Centre at 30th Ave & Ontario St.

Since 2010, we’ve run a highly popular winter farmers market across the road at Nat Bailey Stadium. In the summer of 2016, a plaza was created at the former community centre site, allowing the winter market to expand and run year-round at this location.

Community Food Access

Riley Park Farmers Market hosts over 100,000 shoppers each year, many of whom rely on it as their weekly source of fresh, local food. The market serves many low-income households through our fresh food access program, Fresh to Families and the provincial-wide Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Program. The market regularly hosts a Fresh Food Donation Station, providing fruits, vegetables and other staples to the Little Mountain Neighbourhood House and other food-based organizations for their community meal programs.

The blue zone indicates the site of the future Riley Park Pavilion
Riley Park Pavilion

In September 2017, Vancouver Park Board approved a budget of $1.8 million for a new multi-use pavilion to be built on the plaza as part of their 2019-2022 capital plan. This pavilion would provide a lighted, covered space to house the Riley Park Farmers Market and other community gatherings and celebrations.

Schematic designs have been produced for the pavilion, and the Park Board plans to schedule a round of public engagement sometime in 2021 to gather feedback from the community. More info on the Park Board’s timeline can be found on this page.

A Permanent Home

Riley Park Pavilion would provide a permanent home for the farmers market with a covered space that could accommodate upwards of 30 farm stalls with access to power and running water. The pavilion would also provide VFM with long-term security in the form of a multi-year lease at one of its most popular neighbourhood sites.

Stay tuned for more details on the Riley Park Pavilion and how you can support VFM with this important community project!