They came from every corner of the province, driving plenty of hours and skipping work.

Nothing was stopping devoted throngs from missing Thursday’s reopening of St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market—a beloved locale north of Waterloo and an essential summer pitstop for roadtripping families.

Amidst plenty of excitement, the market’s doors were flung open, marking a rebirth and rise from the ashes for a site that had perished in a devastating 2013 blaze.

Market History:

It was the morning after Marcus Shantz had returned home early from a rainy, Labour Day weekend camping trip.

He and his family had pulled into their driveway the night before so exhausted that they parked, unpacked and headed straight to bed.

The next morning, Shantz was awoken by his wife who handed him a cup of coffee and the unfortunate news that his vacation was being cut short—the historic St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, partially owned by his family and local investors, had gone up in flames the night before.

Shantz was devastated. He drove to King St. N and Weber St. N, where the historic building sat since April 1975, only to find a charred mess and dozens of mourners.

“A lot of people couldn’t believe it. They were shaking their heads,” he recalled. “We were grateful that no one was hurt.”

The two years since have been all about rebuilding the historic site to its former glory—a town landmark that grew out of the Waterloo farmers markets of the 1800’s and the burgeoning Ontario livestock exchange where farmers would sell cattle.

The market rebirth has meant a lot of work, courting new tenants, pleasing old favourites and constructing an extra facility to handle the overflow of both.

The time and effort though, says Shantz, is worth it.

“It’s getting us open and back in business.”

Old Favourites:

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Kitchen Kuttings Inc.

A nook under the stairs has been home to Lydia Weber, Nancy Shantz and Elmeda Weber of Kitchen Kuttings Inc. since they opened their specialty food store in 1988. They loved the spot so much that when the market was rebuilt after the fire they requested to be tucked back by the stairs again, selling imported fresh-cut cheeses, homemade summer sausage, old fashioned fudge, brittle and a range of bulk food.

The Fritter Co.

It was 26 years ago that sisters Joanne Guenther and Marianne Witzel started flipping fritters at St. Jacobs Market. At the time, they crafted the heavenly treats with little more than a few fryers and tongs. To keep blockbuster line-ups moving quickly, the process has since become much more sophisticated and with the opening of the new market, there is even a booth with a rare door to the outside, configured for the fastest dispatch of apples.

Hilltop Acres Poultry

The Reist family has been serving up all-natural turkey, melt-in-your-mouth chicken wings, and sumptuous sausage at Hilltop Acres Poultry, since the market opened. Back then, owner Don Reist recalls his family was constantly dragging meat in and out of the freezer and selling fresh cracked eggs at 89 cents a dozen. With the new St. Jacobs location, they’re bringing back all their famous hearty delights, plus turkey pepperettes.

New Additions:

Chippery

Most people are used to cracking open a potato chip bag and gobbling up a few handfuls of flattened and fried tots, but few ever get to see their afternoon snack being made. At Chippery, customers watch raw, unpeeled potatoes enter a cooker and emerge about three minutes later as chips, which are tossed with seasonings and then bagged. At the St. Jacobs location, they’re flogging imaginative chip flavours like shrimp and cassava and a fruit drink with jelly that is similar to bubble tea.

Between the Lines

The wine business is no stranger to the Wertsch family, which has grown and sold grapes from their Niagara-on-the-Lake vineyard since 1998 and opened Between the Lines winery in 2010. Their St. Jacobs location was buzzing on opening day with people stocking up on ice wine and their famous Gewürztraminer—with notes of lychee and pineapple and a “long fruity finish.”

Lizzy R

Bringing a touch of the catwalk to the market is Lizzy R, a fashion boutique specializing in casual wear for women. At the St. Jacobs booth, an outpost of their popular local store, ladies were browsing soft, flowing dresses, pastel shirts and ornate, statement jewelry on opening day.