Kingston Market Square History and What to Eat There

Kingston Market Square history begins in 1801, when the market was officially set up, and it is Ontario's oldest public market. The wooden stalls burned in the Great Fire of 18 April 1840, and the square was redeveloped from 2005 to 2007.

What is the Kingston Market Square history in brief?

The market was officially set up in 1801, and it is Ontario's oldest public market. For years it was the only place farmers could sell produce in Kingston, brought in by wagon or cart. A square that has held a market for so long is worth a slow first lap before you buy anything. The City of Kingston describes an active market on the site for over 200 years.

What happened in the Great Fire of 1840?

The Great Fire of 18 April 1840 destroyed the wooden market stalls and many nearby buildings, and the market was rebuilt afterwards. The square today sits beside the stone city hall, which was built in the years that followed. The fire is a reminder that the market has survived many changes and that its spirit lies in the habit of coming together to buy and sell food.

Why was the square redeveloped from 2005 to 2007?

The square was redeveloped from 2005 to 2007, after archaeologists excavated it to learn about its history. The result is the open space seen today, used for the market in the warm months and for a skating rink and events at other times. Check the City's page for what happens on the square in each season.

What is the Kingston public market today?

The Kingston Public Market fills Springer Market Square, behind city hall, through the warm months. It is often called the farmers' market, though a separate farmers' market operates elsewhere in the city. Days and seasons change, so check the market's own page before you go.

What should you eat at a market square?

Eat what is in season and what the stall made that morning. Spring brings greens and maple, summer brings berries, tomatoes and corn, autumn brings apples and squash. Prepared food stalls offer breakfast and lunch, and bakers offer bread and sweets. Ask what is best today, and build a small meal from three stalls rather than one large plate. Eat on a bench in the sun if you can. Ask the vendors where the honey, the cheese or the preserves came from, and take a small taste when one is offered; a morning like that tells you more about the region than a menu can.

How do you plan a morning at the market?

Arrive early for choice, walk the whole square first and ask vendors about their products. Bring bags and a card or cash as the stalls prefer. If you are a visitor with a hotel room, buy things you can eat at once, such as fruit and pastries. If you are local, buy ingredients for dinner. Leave time to wander the streets around the square, which have cafés and shops, and finish with a coffee on a bench so you can write down what you bought while it is fresh.

How do you rate market food well?

Rate the item and the stall, and add a note on when you went. Rate as you eat: say what you are having, add the dish as it arrives and then say how it was. In the Mosey app only the place and the stars are needed, and you can rate each dish too and add a tag such as Market Stall, Bakery or Farm Producer. Tag the friend you ate with so they can add their own view.

How can a list and Friends' picks help?

Make a list called Kingston market and add each stall with a note on what to buy and when. Invite a friend through a link to add their finds, and use the Friends' picks layer under Explore the map to see what friends have rated or saved. The Dishes page shows the dishes people are loving near you, which is a good way to see what to try next.

Mosey is free for a place to list, places keep more of what they earn than with high-commission apps, and there are no hidden fees for the place.

How does the market change through the year?

The warm months are the market's season, when stalls fill the square with produce, baking and prepared food. Spring and autumn are quieter and cooler, and winter turns the open space to other uses. A seasonal market teaches you to eat with the calendar: asparagus and greens in spring, tomatoes in summer, apples and squash in autumn. Visit once in each season and keep a list of what you bought, and the year becomes a small education in local food.

What should you read next?

The Kingston Public Market guide covers current market habits, the guide to finding good food in Kingston gives the wider method and the Princess Street guide covers the downtown. The food guide to every Ontario town and the Canadian food guides cover the rest.

After a morning on the square, open the Mosey app and rate the first thing you ate.