Sunday Variety Market — Local services in Toronto

I've been going to all the different versions of the Antique Markets located in the St Lawrence market for over 14 years. I live in the area and go basically every Sunday.

It used to feel like you could find anything at the Sunday Markets and you had no idea what you might see, but now it's almost entirely clothing and jewellery. They used to do an "Antique version" once a month that had a better variety, but they no longer do it.

Today I actually did my best to count. If an antique booth had half cloths/antiques, I counted them as half each.

Clothing 31 Jewellery 21 Antiques 11 Prints/Cards/Pins/Stickers 5 Food/Beverage 5 Candle/Scent/Beauty 4 Weaving 1 Coins 1 Records 1 Crystal Art 1 Wood Carving 1 Knit Art 1 Tattoo Artist 1

The "Variety" elemental is almost all targeted towards the same demographic as well (Something like 20-40 year old women, I would say). There is also not a lot of change week to week from the small business's present. If you go for a few weeks you will see the same business's over and over selling similar items.

They also have a DJ playing music which is a lot some mornings. I've also heard vendors complaining about it on multiple occasions.

It makes me sad having to write this review and I put it off for a long time, but hopefully the move out of the tent and back into the main building will open up some space for variety in the Sunday...

We’ve been vendors at this market before, but our experience has become extremely disappointing. It feels like they no longer care about supporting small or modern businesses. New vendors with fresh, creative products have no chance — they just keep giving space to the same old sellers with outdated items.

The market now looks more like a secondhand shop than a real artisan market. Most vendors are selling used clothes, old decor, and things that look like they came straight out of Value Village — just with higher prices.

We tried to bring something new, original, and high-quality, but instead of welcoming variety or improvement, they made everything more complicated and unwelcoming. There’s no fair system, no support for small businesses, and no effort to refresh the market atmosphere.

If you’re looking for unique local products or creative makers, this is not the place anymore. Sadly, what used to be a fun and inspiring local market has turned into something dull...

"My first visit to the Sunday market was incredibly rewarding. The atmosphere was welcoming and felt reminiscent of old Canadian vibes, with a variety of items ranging from hand-made to store-made to antique and vintage pieces. Prices were quite reasonable and while they varied, they were mostly decent. I even got a chance to enjoy music from a DJ at late hours. Vendors were delightful, some eager to interact and share stories about their items, while others were more reserved. Overall, I rate the experience an 8 out of 10. I managed to find some old money for a good price, which was a...