FREDERICTON -- Fredericton’s North Side Creators Market, the city’s only non-profit market, is moving into a new space and preparing to launch next week.

Right now it looks like a construction zone, but by this time next week, Fredericton’s North Side Creators Market will be up and running in its new, larger space.

It’s a big deal for vendors.

“They’re all upping their game,” says Jim Middleton, artist and chairman of the North Side Creators Market. “As you can see, today you’ve got people building some pretty fancy booths that are really nice to see, so overall, there’s a lot of enthusiasm.”

The market had been operating at Picaroons Brewery since COVID-19 closed the previous space under different management.

Middleton says it has been a taxing few months.

“That meant you came in at 6 a.m. and set up tables, and at 7 a.m., the vendors arrived to put their stuff up. At 2 p.m. we had to tear it all down, every week, and we have some amazing vendors that are older, like Grandpa George who does preserves and jams, bringing in cases and case of jam and having to reset his table up every week. It was a lot of work,” says Middleton.

Vendors first gathered in August to form their non-profit board, leading to this excited week of preparations.

For now, there are 50 vendors setting up, as per COVID protocol, but officials say there is room to grow.

“All of us have been looking forward to this,” says Whitney Grattan, owner of the Bath Shack. “We missed the market life, so it’s very exciting to get back into it. I love making colourful products for everyone to enjoy, but I know a lot of kids love my products, so I’m excited for all the kids to come and see all the options.”

It has been a lot of work for vendors and board members, but it will soon all pay off,

“A lot of people like myself have a side hustle, so not having that little bit of income coming made it very difficult, and then COVID on top of that, most of our full time jobs were hit too,” says Vicki Mazerolle, director of finance for the North Side Creators Market 

The board says the move is phase two of its long-term goal.

They plan to rent the space for the next two to three years, but eventually they would like to own their own venue.

The North Side Creators Market will hold their ribbon cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. next Saturday.