1 / 1 The Sooke Country Market has been held at the grassy field on Otter Point Road, near the fire hall, for the last few years. (Sooke Country Market/Facebook) Advertisement
The Sooke Country Market is looking forward to a new home in 2026.
Next year, the growing market will no longer set up in the grassy field by the fire hall. Instead, you can visit them at Woodside Farm on West Coast Road.
Market manager and farmer Teresa Willman explains that the current location was not a permanent spot, and as a growing market they have not been able to host all the vendors they have available.
The farm offers a slew of benefits, including increased capacity for more vendors. At the current location, there's only room for around 30 vendors at each event, while Willman has over 60 vendors on the roster.
Willman says they've been looking for a venue like The Sooke Country Market for many years, and when the opportunity came up, it "checked many boxes."
The market will still have all of Sooke's favourite vendors and live music, but will feature better parking, which Willman says is an issue in Sooke, as well as access to washrooms and storage.
While it is a bit farther out of town, the farm is only a short drive from the Sooke core, and is on a bus route.
The 2026 Sooke Country Market will remain an outdoor market, and will be set up on Woodside Farm's property, but not in the farm's main area. Attendees can also visit the farm before or after they shop and meet the animals, stroll the gardens and more.
Willman adds that Woodside Farm has tourist traffic, which will help the market and its vendors grow. The new venue also has some interesting history - Woodside Farm is the oldest continuously operating farm in Western Canada.
"I think there's huge potential here, and I think it's the beginning of something really good for Sooke," says Willman. "It can create a real destination for people to come learn what happens on a farm and buy B.C. farm produce, and see the amazing vendors that we have."
Woodside Farm is located at 7149 West Coast Rd. For updates on the Sooke Country Market, visit their website: https://www.sookecountrymarket.com/