You can now like us on facebook, and Withrow Park now has Friends!

The community has spoken and won: the Frankland pool will remain open!!

Fresh News!

posted Nov.1 , 2011

His name? Googly Bear.

Thank you for being our friend! We had a great final outdoor market day of our 2011 season! The weather was great with a lot of sunshine, a great assortment of produce and other goods, and oodles of pumpkin carving and pinata smashing kids. To see what you've missed, check out our flickr gallery. We are thanking the Riverdale community, our farmers and vendors, our amazing volunteers, and Park's staff for another successful market year, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to beautiful Withrow Park in 2012! We will post any and all updates about the 2012 season start here on our home page. In the meantime... We are looking for an indoor winter location, and will post updates here as they become available, so please do visit and do a check-in throughout November!

WINTER MARKET UPDATE

posted January 5, 2012

Due to unforeseen circumstances we've had to delay the opening of our winter market until February. We sincerely hope to have some more definitive news for you soon.

Thank you for your patience and best wishes for a Happy New Year from the WPFM team!

posted November 25, 2011

We've been doing our research, spoken with potential community partners, and are getting closer to our goal for a winter market. At this time it looks like we won't start until January 2012, but when we do, we'll have a cozy and yummy community hang-out for you. We so very much appreciate your patience with this process!

IN YOUR COMMUNITY:

posted January 05, 2012

Shinny for kids 13 and under on the Withrow Park rink this Friday, Jan 6th from 9:00 - noon.

Riverdale Library Arts & Letters Club.

Have a free local community event you'd like posted? Contact us at info[at]withrowpark.ca. Please make your submission at least 2 weeks prior to your event date.

Peak into our '''Stale News" cupboard further down this page for events, activities and good food you've missed.

perhaps they are no more than babies right now, but they will be amazing once they are fully mature

Adopt A Tree in Withrow Park We now have over half a dozen new trees in the market area, and more are coming to the park next spring!! Once the last installment of the planting is done the park will have received about 100 new trees. As you likely know, new trees need some tender loving care and water. The trees are being looked after for the remainder of this season, but in the spring we will be looking for volunteers to adopt a tree(s) to take care of and make sure it survives and thrives. If you are interested in adopting one or more trees please contact the Friends of Withrow Park Trees Group at withrowtrees[at]bell.net to be added to a list of tree adopters. As we get closer to the spring we will be assigning trees and we will give you basic instructions for tree care.

Musicians/Buskers wanted!

If you live in the neighbourhood and like to jam, bring it to the market! Non or minimally amplified classical, folk or pop music, vocal or acoustic, is welcome, but let me know you want to grace market folks with your music: info[at]withrowpark.ca.

Even if you don't live in the hood, but love to play to an appreciative crowd, our market patrons will toss coins or bills in your hat or guitar case. Come join our lovely community and liven it up with tunes and tricks.

The market encourages community groups and non-profits to apply for a spot at the market to promote their programs free of charge. Unfortunately, although we work with elected officials in the promotion and development of the market, we cannot host political parties. To get an application, please e-mail info[at]withrowpark.ca.

Stale News!

posted January 06, 2012

Sign the petition and SAVE THE FRANKLAND COMMUNITY POOL!

Save Frankland Pool on Facebook, on Twitter, http://kidscounttoronto.ca/.

Join the Friends of Withrow Park for a holiday sing-a-long and campfire on Thursday December 8 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the campfire pit in front of the field house. We will have stories and songs to celebrate the season and hot chocolate to help keep us warm. Dress warmly and bring a mug for the hot chocolate!

Want to get into the holiday spirit a bit earlier? Check out the Holiday Breakfast (with a special guest - hint, hint) at Jimmie Simpson on November 26 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. or at the Frankland Community Centre on December 3 from 9:30 to noon (breakfast costs: $3-$4, beverages $1; tickets sold at door).

UPCOMING FEATURES & EVENTS: Bring your jack-o's to the Friends of Withrow Park PUMPKIN PARADE on Nov. 1 from 6-9 p.m.; line 'em up on the path between Strathcona and Hogarth (in front of the field house) to light up the park with pumpkins.

updated Oct. 27, 2011

you know, it's for the kids!

Halloween: this is the holiday for kids, isn't it? Enough candy if eaten unchecked to make you the dentist's best friend; a license to be silly and to wear the most outrageous outfit; the night when kids are allowed to talk to strangers and toss rotten eggs (but preferably not...). But, you don't have to be a kid to enjoy candy, costumes, and talking to strangers. This oh-so-very delightfully colourful and frightful time of year centred around carved pumpkins, candy trades, and ghoulishly decorated porches, is our bitter-sweet moment to say goodbye to yet another outdoor market season. Bitter, because we will miss the market, our vendors, and you dear market friend - no doubt about it; but sweet, because we won't miss getting up and out while it's still dark (thank you daylight savings time, not!). Plus who are we kidding) it's getting a bit chilly out there.

To prepare us for this our last day of the outdoor season in beautiful Withrow Park, we went to a local farm to get local pumpkins (pet a goat and a couple of sheep) for our traditional end of season CARVE-YOUR-OWN-PUMPKIN kids craft theme. Bring your own pumpkin to carve, or choose from one of ours. You are also finally able to find our pumpkin gallery on our updated flickr photo stream, as well as other pics from throughout the season.

But, please don't think that pumpkins is all you'll find this market day. No, no; Sosnicki Organics, The Fresh Veggies, Healthy Choice Farm, Potager du Kanada, Small Potatoes, Webers Natural Meats, Field Sparrow Farms, St. John's Bakery, Saucier Foods, Monforte Dairy, Sol Maya Coffee, Mesey's Ethiopian Vegetarian, LPK's Culinary Groove, and the Riverdale Food Working Group will all be here for a grand finale. (Speaking of the RFWG, poor Dave has been sick quite a bit this fall, but he ensures me he's coming back to market this Sat., with salsa and other preserves.)

Fresh produce highlights for this week are: spinach, winter squashes & pie pumpkins, salad mix & arugula, cabbages, celeriac - great in soups & stews, leeks, onions, potatoes in many colours & sizes, chard, kale, garlic - no less than 6 varieties, beets, carrots, multi-coloured hot & sweet peppers, radishes, rappini, turnips, chard and much more!

updated Oct. 19, 2011

the goodness of spinach - Sosnicki Organics

Fresh produce highlights for this week are:spinach, winter squashes & pie pumpkins, salad mix & arugula, cabbages, celeriac+ - great in soups & stews, leeks, onions, potatoes in many colours & sizes, chard, kale, garlic, beets, carrots, multi-coloured hot & sweet peppers, colourful flower bouquets and much much more! Our returning vendors this market day are LPK's Culinary Groove, Brian Hamlin (honey) and Small Potatoes Farm. Also returning after a very long absence is Mesey with her Ethiopian Vegetarian food. Sadly, we have to say our seasonal goodbyes to Danbrie Farms (for all the sake of pancakes and French toast may the sap run plentiful next March), Haystrom Farm (who were already absent last week), and This Ain't Your Mama's Bread (speaking of French toast, albeit gluten free). The Good Food Conspiracy Co., sadly, has also already wrapped up their season at market.

But... we still have quite a good number of dedicated vendors with great product to see us to the end of the market season: farmers Sosnicki Organics, Healthy Choice Farm, The Fresh Veggies, Potager du Kanada, Webers Natural Meats, Field Sparrow Farms, and the already mentioned Small Potatoes and Brian Hamlin; prepared food vendors St. John's Bakery, Saucier Foods, Monforte Dairy, Sol Maya Coffee, and the returning Mesey, LPK's, and the Riverdale Food Working Group (if you have any Mason jars, the RFWG is our recycling depot).

FOR THE KIDS: This week we are gearing up for the big holiday with some Halloween themed puppets that the kids can decorate with paints.

SPECIAL GUESTS

• The Riverdale Meadow Community Garden had to miss the market last week due to illness, but is joining us this day to do some fundraising with bottles of delicious raspberry vinegar.
• Naturopathic Dr. Lisa Weeks is coming back for another visit.

updated Oct. 14, 2011

sweet potatoes from Haystrom Farm

Fresh produce highlights for this week are: sweet potatoes,spinach, winter squashes & pie pumpkins, salad mix & arugula, cabbages, celeriac+ - great in soups & stews, leeks, tomatoes until the frost gets them, onions, potatoes in many colours & sizes, chard, kale, garlic, beets, carrots, multi-coloured hot & sweet peppers, ground cherries, colourful flower bouquets and much much more! What an amazing Thanksgiving weekend it has been! The weather seems to have been a last salute to summer, but we are not saying farewell to you for another 3 market days! Unfortunately, with the rainy forecast come a couple of announcements of vendor cancellations for this coming market day: LPK's Culinary Groove will, regrettably, miss another market day, and This Ain't Your Mama's Bread and the Small Potatoes will be absent, too. The Good Food Conspiracy Co. has wrapped up their season at market last week, and Brian Hamlin (honey) will return for a last market day on Oct. 22.

So... the next 3 market days are your diminishing chance to enjoy fresh farm harvests and prepared foods at your neighbourhood farmers' market!

FOR THE KIDS: This week the kids will be making Stained Glass Leaves using recycled cardboard and brightly coloured tissue paper.

SPECIAL GUEST - The Riverdale Meadow Community Garden is fundraising with bottles of delicious raspberry vinegar.

updated Oct. 7, 2011

pie pumpkin from the Fresh Veggies

Fresh produce highlights for this week are: spinach, winter squashes & pie pumpkins, salad mix & arugula, corn, a fresh batch of green, red & savoy cabbages, leeks, tomatoes until the frost gets them, onions, eggplant, potatoes in many colours & sizes, shallots, chard, kale, garlic, beets, carrots, multi-coloured hot & sweet peppers, ground cherries, zucchini, okra, colourful flower bouquets and much much more (like Monforte Dairy grilled cheese sandwiches & This Ain't Your Mama's Bread gluten free French toast). If you don't do so already, challenge yourself to an all local Withrow Market Thanksgiving feast, and do tell us about it. Better yet, send us some photos, too, and we'll post them on flickr. Send us your entry by Friday Oct. 14 for a chance to win a prize!

You can get most if not all of your ingredients at the market (OK, except for salt and spices): turkey & the fixings for stuffing, pumpkin pie (from Saucier Foods), a slew of veg, and flour (St. John's Bakery), eggs (Webers) & pie pumpkins or sweet winter squashes if you decide to make pie from scratch. Yeah, we don't sell sugar, but we have maple syrup & honey.

Brian Hamlin (honey) is back this week, but sadly, LPK's Culinary Groove staff have become victims to the seasonal flu and cold that's been going around, so will be skipping this market day.

This is the last day for sweet corn on the cob from the Sosnickis, and will be the last market day this season for the Good Food Conspiracy Co. and their unique and imaginative raw food dips & flatbreads (and the delicious Balkan roasted red pepper ajvar [pronounced ayvar, in case you didn't know]). Feast of Fields' (fruit) season at our market has also come to an end, but we keep going for 4 more weeks, and there's loads of goodies to enjoy yet!

The Riverdale Food Working Group is our Mason jar recycling depot. You can either drop them off at their booth at the market, or arrange a pick-up if you have too many.

FOR THE KIDS: This Saturday we will be doing a beautiful craft with a natural tree branch and colourful leaves on which kids will write words expressing things they like about the fall season and the market.

SPECIAL GUESTS - David Santandrea on classical guitar - a wonderful way to relax before the Thanksgiving cookout! Laughter Yoga circle with Lynn at 10 and 10:30 - participate and get a free session pass!

updated September 28, 2011

the colours and flavours of fall are here; acorn squash from the Fresh Veggies

Fresh produce highlights for this week are: spinach, winter squashes, salad mix & arugula, corn, a fresh batch of green, red & savoy cabbages, leeks, pears, grapes, wild blueberries, plums, raspberries, apples, peaches, more tomatoes, onions, eggplant, potatoes in many colours & sizes, shallots, chard, kale, garlic, beets, carrots, multi-coloured hot & sweet peppers, ground cherries, zucchini, okra, colourful flower bouquets and much much more (like Monforte Dairy grilled cheese sandwiches). Even though every market day is special, we want to thank all our guests and those of you who came out to help us make our 5th anniversary an extra special day! We had a fantastic day last Saturday, and could not have wished for better weather. Check out our flickr photo stream for some highlights of the day; just click on the flickr badge in the sidebar.

We have 5 more outdoor market days left this season, so come on out and take advantage of all the great produce and other products available. And if you are a Thanksgiving traditionalist and are planning to cook a classic Thanksgiving meal, come to market and get all your food needs here. And place an order for turkey and pumpkin pie!

Turkeys - Both the Webers and Field Sparrow Farms have turkeys. If you want to secure a bird for your festivities, please put your order in now. The birds will be selling for $6/lb, and are free-range, GMO and antibiotic free! For Field Sparrow Farms contact info[at]fieldsparrowfarms.ca. For Webers Natural Meats phone 519-353-4113. Alternatively you can place your order at the market this Saturday for pick up on Oct. 8.

Pies - If you don't want to make your own, order a pie from Saucier Foods at the market this week or by contacting info[at]saucierfoods.com by Wednesday Oct. 5. Or pick up one of these pies from LPK’s Culinary Groove available at market on Oct. 8: Apple Spice (vegan, gluten-free), Butternut Squash (gluten-free), Pumpkin (gluten-free), and pumpkin spice cupcakes (vegan & gluten-free) – all made with produce from their farmer friends at the markets. To place an order with LPK's call 416-461-6440, or e-mail info[at]lpksculinarygroove.com by Tuesday Oct. 4.

The Riverdale Food Working Group is back, and so is This Ain't Your Mama's Bread with a special seasonally inspired pumpkin spice French toast! Brian Hamlin (honey) returns on Oct. 8.

The Riverdale Food Working Group is our Mason jar recycling depot. You can either drop them off at their booth at the market, or arrange a pick-up if you have too many. It's not too late to participate in the Edible Container Garden Photo Contest! Please visit Toronto Balconies Bloom for details; submission deadline is Sept. 30.

FOR THE KIDS: We are doing a fall lacing craft this week to help kids practice their lacing and create a beautiful fall leaf at the same time.

SPECIAL GUESTS:

• Story Time at 10:30 with staff from the Pape Library.
• Japan Martial Arts Centre kids karate demo at 11 a.m. (rain date - Oct. 15).
• Naturopathic Doctor Lisa Weeks has just move to the neighbourhood and would like to introduce her services by taking blood pressure readings, doing acupuncture demonstrations and free 10-minute introductory sessions, as well as Chinese medicine tongue and pulse diagnoses.

Up for some time travel? Click here.