From 5,000 Visitors to More, Elaine Cheung on the Future of the White Rock Farmers Market

There are a lot of things in White Rock that people say are “community staples.”

The farmers market really does earn that title.

I recently sat down with Elaine Cheung, who, if you’ve spent any time in White Rock, you’ve probably seen or at least heard of. She’s a White Rock City Councillor and the President of the White Rock Farmers Market. And after talking with her, it became pretty clear why this thing has lasted over two decades and is only getting bigger.

What surprised me most wasn’t just the scale of the market. It was the intention behind it.

Elaine summed it up in a way that stuck with me. The market is about “community and connection.” Not transactions. Not just buying stuff. Actual connection.

And once you hear that, everything else starts to make sense.

Every Sunday, roughly 5,000 people show up in a four-hour window. That alone is impressive. But what’s more interesting is why they keep coming back.

It’s not just the food, although there’s a lot of it. It’s not just the variety, although that’s growing fast. It’s the feeling.

Elaine described it like this. You don’t just go to the market. You go to see your baker, your flower person, your produce vendor. People remember you. You talk. You hang out. It becomes part of your routine.

It’s basically what malls used to be for people in the 80s and 90s, just with better food and way more personality.

And here’s the kicker. Everything there has to be baked, made, or grown locally.

No flipping cheap products from overseas. No reselling mass-produced stuff. If someone is selling it, they either grew it, made it, or baked it themselves.

That one rule changes everything.

It’s why people trust it. It’s why vendors care. And it’s why the whole thing feels different from other markets you might have been to.

Now, Elaine didn’t start the market. It’s been around for 26 years. But she stepped in about two and a half years ago when things weren’t exactly running smoothly.

What she did bring was execution.

She rebuilt systems. Cut unnecessary costs. Got the organization back to breaking even, then profitable. But more importantly, she shifted the culture.

No more passive board members. If you’re in, you contribute. If you don’t have time, don’t join.

That kind of leadership shows up fast.

You see it in the energy. You see it in the vendors. You see it in the experience when you walk through.

Elaine is literally at the front booth most Sundays, welcoming people, handing out treats to dogs, checking in with vendors, making sure everything runs the way it should.

It’s simple, but it matters.

And when the vendors are happy, the people visiting feel it too.

That’s how you build something people want to come back to.

Now here’s where things get really interesting.

The market is about to grow. A lot.

Starting April 19th, the White Rock Farmers Market opens for the season, and this year it’s expanding in a big way. They’re going from about 90 vendors to over 170.

They’re extending into Johnston Road, essentially doubling the footprint. More food, more vendors, more space, more everything.

Think of it less like a small market and more like a weekly street festival.

And it’s not just about shopping.

You can get your knives sharpened. Get clothes mended. Grab food from pretty much every culture you can think of. Check out local nonprofits. Let your kids explore. Bring your dog. Run into people you know.

It’s one of those rare places where you can show up with no plan and still have a great day.

But what stood out to me most wasn’t the growth.

It was the impact.

Last year alone, the market distributed $56,000 in food coupons to people who needed it. Seniors, youth, families. That money goes straight back into the local vendor ecosystem.

They also donated funds to local initiatives like the White Rock Pantry.

And then there are the stories you don’t see coming.

Like the young girl who was too shy to talk about her art at school, but opened up completely at the market while selling her work.

Or the kid whose goal in life is to work there because he sees the older teens running the show and wants to be part of it.

That’s the kind of ripple effect you don’t measure on a spreadsheet.

That’s community.

Elaine said something near the end of our conversation that I think sums it up better than anything else.

“You can find everything there. Food, people, connection… but more than anything, it’s the feeling. It’s something you won’t forget.”

And honestly, she’s right.

If you haven’t been, go.

If you have been, you already know.

The White Rock Farmers Market opens April 19th, and if this year is anything like what Elaine is building toward, don’t be surprised if that 5,000 people turns into a whole lot more.

👉 If you want to check it out, learn more, or even apply as a vendor, you can visit:
https://whiterockfarmersmarket.ca/

📌 You can also learn more about Elaine and her work in the community here:
https://elainecheung.ca/

🚀 And if you’re a local business owner, entrepreneur, or someone doing interesting work in the community, I’d love to feature you next. Apply here:
https://bestofwhiterock.ca/get-featured

We’re always looking for great stories.