Where We Spent a Wake Window: Kitsilano Farmers Market
Location & Parking:
Parking Tip: Since we live in the area, we always walk. But for drivers, the organizers suggest parking outside the neighborhood to avoid congestion. We recommend using the parking garages on West Broadway near IGA and London Drugs, it's less than a 10-minute walk to the market from there.
Set your GPS to: Kitsilano Community Centre - 2690 Larch St, Vancouver, BC V6K 4K9, Canada
Official info & When: https://eatlocal.org/markets/kitsilano/
Sundays, 10 am - 2 pm for most of the year.
The Damage Report ($):
Free to browse! While entry is free, be warned, the amazing vendors will tempt you to buy everything in sight.
Wheely Friendly?
Yes! You can take a stroller, and we always do (gotta love that extra storage for market finds). However, it's a relatively small area and can get quite busy, so navigating can be a bit tricky.
Yuyu was proud of the nutella stuffed bread buns from one of the vendors.
The Snack Situation:
Vendor Variety: You'll find numerous vendors to purchase snacks from as you browse.
Fun & Free: Yuyu is like her mother and loves to try samples.
Potty Proximity:
The bathrooms are easily accessible inside the Kitsilano Community Centre, which is right next to the market.
Mum Musings:
In a previous life, I had an Ethiopian food stand at the St. John’s Farmers Market in Newfoundland, so I'm partial to markets. I'm so glad we discovered the Kits market so early in our Vancouver adventure! The happy, energizing vibe with local musicians and delicious finds became our Sunday morning ritual after church.
We’ve never made it home before Yuyu breaks into the berry tray.
Our Favorite Vendors:
Bali Bites - We loved their Indonesian sauces, especially the spicy chili sambal!
Nina's pierogi - This was Yuyu's first experience with pierogies, and she loved them so much we bought them whenever they were available.
Stapleton Sausage - These were a big hit with all of us. Yuyu would insist on trying many of the samples, It was a bit embarrassing! But I did also buy numerous frozen packages so hopefully that balanced it out…
Morgan's Harbour - Jamie and I both love spicy food and Jamaican Patties and these hit the spot. The frozen patty packages were also a staple in our freezer.
Casa De Nata - Oh my, I loved their Portuguese custard tarts. They aren’t at the market all the time but, when they are, don't miss out.
Fresh produce from the many farmers - you can’t beat the giant trays of berries and the fresh vegetables.
Beyond the market :
We love that the market is next to the wonderfully manicured field and the Connaught Park playground which also has a water park. We would often set up on the grass to eat lunch and let Yuyu run around, or take her to the park to burn off more energy.
The water park near the Kits market was a hit on hot days.
Toddler Tolerance Level:
1-3 hours. Yuyu could stay at the park for hours, but after a full morning of market fun, she's happy enough to head home for her mid-day nap.
Nap Roulette Options?
While there are all kinds of things to do around Kits, we consistently went home to nap after a market visit. The market and park provided a full morning of fun.
Author
I’m Mimi, the writer behind Mi & Yu. This blog was born out of a year spent exploring Vancouver with my toddler Yuyu and newborn son Gabe while my husband Jamie worked through a demanding fellowship.
What started as a way to survive the newborn phase turned into a collection of tried-and-tested family adventures, real reviews, tested logistics, and the occasional toddler meltdown included. Now back home in Newfoundland, I’m sharing those adventures so other parents can skip the decision fatigue and get straight to the fun part.
Vancouver Christmas Market: Toddler Hacks, Carousel Lines & How to Skip the Crowds