Market at Red Deer wraps up 56th season

Published 10:59 am Saturday, October 10, 2026 Red Deerians braved some chilly temperatures and light snow to take in the final Red Deer outdoor market of 2026. The Market at Red Deer wrapped up its 56th season on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Patrick Moffat, who co-manages the market alongside his sister Fiona, said there was a notable increase in vendors this year. “We’re up about 10 per cent from last year,” said Moffat. “COVID hurt every market.

We lost about half of our vendors. We’ve been coming back slowly every year. We’re seeing more and more people come.” The market was originally started in the 1970s by Dennis Moffat, father of Patrick and Fiona.

“We’ve been here for multiple generations, but there are a lot of people who are moving to Red Deer and they don’t know we exist yet. We get people every week learning about the market. ... We’re gaining traction every year, which is nice to see,” said Patrick Moffat.

“The best thing about the market is watching the crowd grow and build. People start coming and you hear the talking. You hear the laughing.

That’s the beauty of the market.” For years it was held in downtown Red Deer, but moved to Red Deer Polytechnic in 2023. Patrick Moffat anticipates speaking with RDP officials over the winter about bringing the market back to the post-secondary institution’s main campus. “It’s been a great partnership over the past four year,” said Patrick Moffat.

“It’s such a wonderful place to be. The market brings attention to them and at the same time, they’re running events here that bring attention to us.” Patrick added that they will make a big effort to draw even more people to the market in the years ahead. “This is the place to be on a Saturday morning.

This is the spirit of Red Deer, so to speak,” he said. For more information on the Market at Red Deer, visit www.reddeermarket.com.