Parul Gupta –
Every Thursday evening from May to October, the Underpass Park in Corktown becomes a community-focused space hosting a farmers’ market.
When co-founders Suzanne Kavanagh, Socrates Apallas and Kara Isert launched the Underpass Park Farmers Market in 2017, Corktown was growing quickly. New condominiums were bringing in residents, but there was no grocery store nearby.
Condo living and long winters also meant most residents rarely crossed paths. The neighbourhood was lacking not just access to fresh food but opportunities for connection.
“We weren’t just thinking about produce,” says Socrates. “We were thinking about how to make the neighbourhood work better for the people living here.”
The result is what he describes as an “urban farmers’ market,” designed around community as well as food. Now entering its eighth season, the market returns on May 14 and will run on Thursday evenings through October.
“We didn’t want this to become just another weekend farmers’ market,” says market manager Elif Birbiri, a volunteer. “The idea was to create something people could look forward to midweek – a reason to step out, slow down and connect.”
This season, approximately 40 vendors will take part each week, offering fresh produce, baked goods and locally made products. The lineup includes both French and Iranian bakeries, reflecting the diversity of the surrounding community.
Among the vendors will be Rogue Farm, a grower cultivating produce in Scarborough and Etobicoke, as well as in people’s backyard spaces throughout the city. The farm aims to expand access to fresh, nutritious varieties that are not typically found in supermarkets. This hyperlocal approach reflects a shift towards growing and distributing food within urban constraints.
From the beginning, the Underpass Park Farmers’ Market has doubled as a platform for local artists, with live music programmed weekly. Monthly film screenings, in partnership with the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show, turn the space into an open-air venue.
Running a market under a highway requires constant problem-solving. Scaffolding, construction noise and ongoing overpass work have all required negotiation. The team has pushed back where it can; construction schedules have been adjusted to avoid interrupting market hours.
The Underpass Park opened in 2012, transforming 2.5 acres of neglected land beneath three major road overpasses into an architecturally distinctive public space.
Eight seasons in, the market remains free, volunteer-run, and shaped by the neighbourhood it serves. In a rapidly developing part of the city, it offers a sense of familiarity.
The team is currently accepting applications from local vendors, artists and volunteers for the 2026 season.
The market runs on Thursdays from May 14 to October 15 at Underpass Park in Corktown, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. For more information or to apply as a vendor, artist or volunteer, visit underpassparkmarket.com.
