The Lansdowne Farmers’ Market: Ottawa’s Best Sunday Morning

If the ByWard Market is Ottawa’s historic heart, the Lansdowne Farmers’ Market is its weekend soul.

Every Sunday, locals stream into Lansdowne Park—past the stadium, past the shops, and into the shadow of a 125-year-old landmark called the Aberdeen Pavilion. Here, farmers drive in from within 100 kilometers of the city to sell what they’ve grown, baked, or made themselves. No resellers. No imported goods. Just direct exchange—producer to person.

It’s the kind of place that quietly reminds you what local is supposed to mean.

In December, the area takes on an entirely different energy, transforming into a festive Christmas market. And just steps away, the hockey arena comes alive on game nights, where you can catch the Ottawa 67’s and experience a more local side of the city’s sports culture.

Lansdowne doesn’t try to impress—it simply shows up, week after week, doing exactly what it’s always done.

A Quick History of Lansdowne Park

Lansdowne Park has been Ottawa’s gathering place since 1868. For over 150 years, this site has hosted agricultural fairs, exhibitions, concerts, hockey games, and football.

The centerpiece is the Aberdeen Pavilion—a grand, yellow-and-green exhibition hall built in 1898 and nicknamed the “Cattle Castle” for its original purpose: showcasing livestock at agricultural fairs. It’s the only large-scale exhibition building in Canada surviving from the 19th century, and it’s been designated a National Historic Site.

The building almost didn’t survive. By the late 1980s, it had fallen into such disrepair that the city condemned it and voted to demolish it in 1991. Public outcry reversed that decision. A $5.3 million restoration was completed in 1994, and today the Aberdeen Pavilion hosts markets, festivals, and community events year-round.

Here’s a fun piece of trivia: the 1904 Stanley Cup final was played inside this building. The Ottawa Silver Sevens won. Over a century later, in 2017, the Stanley Cup returned to the Pavilion for a display during the NHL 100 Classic festivities.

The Farmers’ Market

The Ottawa Farmers’ Market at Lansdowne is a producer-only market, meaning every vendor grows, raises, or makes what they sell. No middlemen. No resellers. Just farmers and artisans from within 100 kilometers of Ottawa.

And Ottawa has more farms within reach than Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver combined—over 1,000 in the region. That translates to a genuinely diverse market with vendors selling everything from local honey and maple syrup to fresh eggs, artisan cheese, charcuterie, baked goods, preserves, and seasonal produce.

In warmer months (May through October), the market spreads outside into Aberdeen Square. In winter, it moves inside the Aberdeen Pavilion—which honestly makes it even more atmospheric. There’s something special about shopping for local goods inside a 19th-century exhibition hall while snow falls outside.

Market hours:

  • Outdoor season (May–October): Sundays, 9am–3pm
  • Indoor season (January–April): Sundays, 10am–3pm
  • Holiday markets in December often expand to Saturdays

What I Ended Up Buying

A few vendors worth seeking out:

  • Kamouso Miso — Fresh eggs and poultry from a family farm
  • Hall’s Apple Market — Local honey and beeswax products
  • Apple Candy — Maple syrup and maple products
  • Wine — Locally grown specialty mushrooms
  • Maple Syrup — Another excellent local honey producer
  • Bag — Apples, cider, and seasonal fruit

Description on what I got

Beyond the Market: Lansdowne Park

The farmers’ market is the main draw on Sundays, but Lansdowne Park itself is worth exploring.

TD Place Stadium & Arena — Home to the Ottawa Redblacks (CFL football), Ottawa 67’s (OHL hockey), Atlético Ottawa (soccer), and Ottawa BlackJacks (basketball). The venue also hosts concerts and major events.

The Shops at Lansdowne — A mix of restaurants, retail, and a Whole Foods Market. CRAFT Beer Market, JOEY, and Milestones are popular dining options. There’s also a Cineplex VIP theatre if you want dinner and a movie.

The Great Lawn — An open green space for picnics, festivals, or just lounging. Lansdowne Park has over 800 trees, including an orchard of heirloom apple trees that gets harvested annually and donated to local food agencies.

Public Art — Look for Cows Fly Home on Sunday, a brass and copper weathervane sculpture by Tim DesClouds that nods to the Pavilion’s agricultural history. The water plaza features Uplift by Jill Anholt, with 52 dancing water jets in summer.

Skating Rink — In winter, there’s an outdoor refrigerated rink near the Horticulture Building. It’s free to use.

Christmas Market — In winter, there’s an outdoor refrigerated rink near the Horticulture Building. It’s free to use.

The Glebe Connection

Lansdowne Park sits at the edge of the Glebe, one of Ottawa’s most beloved neighborhoods. If you’re already at the market, it’s worth wandering down Bank Street afterward.

The Glebe is Ottawa’s original suburbia—developed in the late 1800s when electric streetcars first rattled down Bank Street. Today it’s known for independent boutiques, cozy cafes, and a very strong community identity. (The Great Glebe Garage Sale every May is legendary.)

A few spots to hit:

  • Morning Owl Coffee — Excellent local roaster
  • Irene’s Pub — Live music and a hidden back patio
  • The Rowan — Modern Canadian dining
  • Wild Oat Bakery — Fresh bread and pastries
  • Il Negozio Nicastro — Italian specialty foods
  • Glebe Meat Market — Old-school butcher shop

The Rideau Canal runs along the eastern edge of the Glebe. In winter, you can skate from Lansdowne all the way downtown. In summer, the pathways are perfect for walking or biking.

Practical Info

Location: Lansdowne Park, 1000 Exhibition Way, Ottawa (in the Glebe neighborhood)

Getting there:

  • By car: Enter from Queen Elizabeth Drive. Underground parking is $4/hour.
  • Uber:
  • By transit: OC Transpo routes 6 and 7 stop at Lansdowne.
  • By bike: Over 600 bike parking spaces on site.
  • On foot: It’s a short walk from the Rideau Canal pathways.

Hours: The park is open daily from 5am to 11pm. The farmers’ market runs Sundays year-round (check the Ottawa Farmers’ Market website for seasonal hours and holiday schedules).

Admission: Free to enter the park and market. Events at TD Place require tickets.

Pets: Welcome at the farmers’ market (on leash).

Why I Love It

I’ll be honest—when I first heard about Lansdowne, I expected a generic mixed-use development with a stadium attached. And yes, that’s technically what it is.

But then I walked into the Aberdeen Pavilion on a winter Sunday morning.

The light coming through those 19th-century windows. The smell of fresh bread and coffee. Farmers chatting with regulars who’ve been buying from them for years. A building that almost got demolished, saved by people who cared enough to fight for it, now filled with the exact kind of community activity it was built for over a century ago.

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