Excitement is growing around the upcoming opening of The Market at Lacombe Centre.
It’s a brand new indoor and year-round market in town that will feature B.C. fruit growers, small local producers, artisans and craftsmen from across Alberta, said Kristal Heise, president of the Lacombe Centre.
“We took possession of the mall last year in May,” she said, adding that a revitalization project was part of the plan from the get-go. “That included an expansion of Peavey Mart and the addition of two new buildings in the drive-through KFC and the drive-through Starbucks.
“In addition to that, we’ve also revitalized existing tenant spaces and we’ve moved tenants around within the mall itself,” she said.
Several new tenants have moved in as well.
As to the new market, Heise explained that it’s essentially meant to be a growers’ market.
“It’s going to be located on the east side of the main building in between Scotia Bank and Peavey Mart,” she said, adding that the venture will complement other opportunities within the community. Heise said it’s been exciting to see the project come to fruition, and there have been some outstanding highlights in particular.
“The Starbucks opened to much fanfare, and we’ve been told it took off like a rocket,” she said.
It’s already one of the top-performing stores in central Alberta, she added.
Local support - in general - has been very solid.
“We are really appreciative of the support we have received from the community and from the City of Lacombe, as well as from the new tenants and existing tenants,” she said. “I think everyone is really pleased with the overall outcome.”
Meanwhile, The Market at Lacombe Centre will be open Fridays from noon to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
“There will be a soft opening over the Nov. 4 to 6 weekend, and then the official opening will be the weekend of Nov. 12-13.
Another coming event will be the Santa Claus parade coming through the mall parking lot on Nov. 24, she said.
A winter market is also planned for Dec. 10-11 and a Christmas market will run Dec. 17-18.
For more information and to keep up-to-date on events, check out www.themarketatlacombecentre.com.