The second annual Taste of Abby night market was another success, kicking off a long list of events taking place in Abbotsford over the next week or so.
The market ran Sept. 15 in Jubilee Park, and featured food and drink from the city’s agricultural and culinary scene.
The larger Taste of Abby Fall Food Festival, which is planned and organized by Tourism Abbotsford, runs through to Sept. 24, with something for everyone.
Next up is Pickleball and Pints on Sept. 19. Tourism Abbotsford has booked the courts at Jubilee Park and teamed up with the Go Play Outside Team to provide an afternoon of pickleball fun. Extra paddles will be available. This is a free event but registration is required.
Afterward, players can cool off at Old Yale Brewing with extra specials, and Lepp Farm Market will also be on site with some tasty pickling items and recipes to try.
And maybe the most fun event will be crushing grapes into wine.
That takes place Sept. 20 at Singletree Winery, and people can sign up for free (register ahead of time to avoid disappointment) in groups of up to four people.
The Healthy Food Systems video series will run throughout Taste of Abby. Facilitated by Aaron Pete, host of the Bigger Than Me podcast, four people were chosen to discuss sustainable and healthy food systems in three- to five-minute videos.
Restaurant 62 co-owner and chef Jeff Massey will speak about collaborating with local food growers. Amir Maan from Maan Farms will discuss ag-tech integration and vertical strawberry farming.
Paul Sweeting, owner of Raven’s Brewing, will share his Indigenous-owned business plans, and Agriculture Minister Pam Alexis will talk about the government’s efforts to enable and protect healthy food systems.
Taste of Abby wraps up with the Food and Farm Excellence Awards, recognizing Abbotsford’s best culinary talents and agricultural producers, at EcoFarm on Sept. 24.
The event honours local producers and helps further showcase the area’s food and culinary strengths.
Awards run the gamut from People’s Choice, Most Innovative Food Concept and Community Spirit to those that honour the best restaurant or bistro, chef, cafe or bakery, brewery/winery/distillery, farm producer, and culinary event or experience.
Roberts and her team at Tourism Abbotsford are hoping to add even more events under the Taste of Abby banner, and those will be included in their online calendar if and when they are finalized. There is also a list of free music venues at local farms and wineries.
Tickets, registration and the full schedule are available at tasteofabby.ca.
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