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From farm to market: Fall fest celebrates local vendors and artisans

September 25, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By RileY Murphy

More than 80 vendors gathered this past weekend at Fall Fest 2025 at Rock Garden Farms on Sept. 14.

The day featured not only numerous vendors but also a live DJ, a slime bar, a live doodle station, a bouncy house, food trucks, face painting, a free kids tattoo station, farm-fresh food, and much more.

Margaret Galati runs the farm with her husband, parents and three sons, and they’ve been in the community now for 38 years.

She said the vendors market began during COVID when vendors were looking for a place to sell their products and “trying to make a living.”

What began as Galati allowing vendors to use her front field to sell their products has now grown each year.

“My customers now, and even the Town, look forward to having somewhere to go with their families. There’s some things for the kids and it’s just a nice outing and it’s free and fun to just walk around and have a great afternoon.”

Galati shared that people are looking to support more local Canadian artisans and stay closer to home rather than going far to experience things.

“COVID just made us kind of pivot a little bit more to stay more homebound and just find good things in your local community.”

She says she hopes that people will “support the small farmers markets and local vendors.”

“We’re blessed that we have a nice big open field and lots of parking. So, hopefully, people will be able to come out and enjoy some food and they won’t have to travel too far,” says Galati

“And if they came from far, then thank you very much,” she adds.

One vendor in attendance that day also underscored the importance of locally grown ingredients and local vendors.

Nathalie Hatter, Founder of Pivot Dog Biscuits, shared that her products are 100 percent locally sourced and 100 percent made in Canada.

“At the end of the day, I go see local farmers. These ones are beets and apples,” said Hatter, motioning to the biscuits in front of her.  “They’re made from seconds that farmers couldn’t sell, and then I just make a biscuit out of them.”

She shared that raising awareness for these farms’ locally grown ingredients is “what she does.”

“It’s really about that farm to market or farm to table, and just raising awareness that there’s these pockets, these local Canadian-owned hard-working families and farmers that are threatened with big box stores or grocery stores,” explained Hatter.

Hatter offers a “bark-cuterie” board at her stand, where dogs can sample her treats before owners buy them in an attempt to limit food waste.

Ten percent of their sales every year also go to local rescues, including another vendor at the market, Last Litter.

Last Litter Foster and Rehome is a 100% volunteer- and foster-based rescue that operates solely on donations.

They attended the event that day to raise awareness for dogs who had been left in their care, looking for fosters and forever homes.

Savannah from Last Litter shared that attending markets like these helps to spread awareness about fostering.

She shared that many “don’t know that there’s an option that you can foster to adopt or foster until they find their forever home.”

They are currently attending three events a week to spread the word.

Her booth was frequently visited, as many wanted to meet Ruby, a five-month-old Dogo Argentino, who Savannah hopes will find her forever family.

Last Litter shared that when a family fosters, all expenses are covered.

“The only thing that you’re responsible for as a foster is just to love them unconditionally, and you get unconditional love back.”

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