2018 has been a monumental year for team Wild Heart. We grew our family this year, expanded the market, worked on some incredible projects and met some INCREDIBLE people.
While we definitely cannot capture EVERYTHING that happened in 2018, see below for a snapshot of some notable moments!
One of our favourite opportunities of 2018 was our team visit to Stonepost Farms.
Early this year, the Doherty family graciously offered to be the farm host for 2018’s Grand Taste Tour (more later!) and they invited the Market Crew out for a visit/tour of their beautiful home near Wildwood, Alberta. We had an amazing time checking out the farm, meeting the animals and learning about their practices.
John and Becky started Stonepost Farms in the spring of 2016. John has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, and Becky has a BSci in Geography and GIS. Their shared knowledge and passion have helped them shape the way they develop their farm in a more sustainable way. Their regenerative farming practices include holistic approaches to farming which are better for the land and soil, allowing the environment to return to a natural state.
The Doherty’s have become not only staples in our Market Family but dear friends. We are so honoured to work with them, learn from them, and build our incredible farming community!
GLOW 2018
The Quarters Arts Society is a not-for-profit society that sees the Quarters Downtown and Boyle Street as a vibrant neighbourhood for the arts and engages people with citizen-led art initiatives. GLOW is their annual festival that takes places during the spring equinox. Wild Heart has always admired the Quarters Arts Society so it was an honour to work with them in 2018 to help them produce GLOW!
Dallas LaRose Fine Art
It was a busy year for Dallas LaRose Fine Art. She did several pop-up markets, Open Studios, and notably in March of 2018 she launched her first large show ‘Because I Can’ featuring a new body of work. She also launched her very first month-long gallery pop-up at Edmonton City Centre in December. Team Wild Heart created the design and marketing assets for both these projects, as well as helped Dallas out with on-site logistics for both her VIP parties. We are so proud of Dallas, as a client and friend, and we cannot wait to see what 2019 has in store for her!
First Responders Day
Edmonton First Responders Day celebrates and acknowledges first responders for their sacrifices and raises awareness and funds for mental health resources. This event is held annually, and Wild Heart helped out with site and stage management, social media and event photography. We are honoured to be part of such an important celebration!
124 Grand Market & Little Beans
It was a HUGE year for the 124 Grand Market, as in addition to our regular Thursday schedule we officially launched Sundays down on 102 Ave. Thanks to Evolve Fitness, Edgar Development, and Robertson Wesley Church for making our debut into the community welcoming and helping us really gain our foothold into this part of 124. We are so excited to be back in 2019! (Photos by Wild Heart Collective).
Not only did we expand locations, but we also expanded our Market Team! This year we got to work with a a very cool team of summer staff. Mac, Sush and Bert, you guys did an amazing job of keeping things together for us this year, and we could NOT have done it without you.
With the growth of the market also saw an expansion of Little Beans. We saw over 145 new kids sign up for 2018! This was largely thanks to our 2018 Sponsors, Apple Dental who sponsored our bags and our Season Sponsor Glenora Homes. Thanks to these folks, over 50 kids per week received custom Little Beans bags, and got to shop the produce Vendors for fresh fruit and vegetables every market!
Arcadia
Speaking of Sponsors...a company that gets their very own shout-out is Arcadia. Darren has been crucial in helping us this season, from letting us store our junk to putting up with us when we pop-in for post-market refreshments, keeping the kitchen open just a few minutes longer so we can get a pizza or a hotdog. Arcadia is an amazing supporter of 124 and we are so grateful they are in our hood! Thanks for all you do for the Market and we look forward to another year!
Folding Mountain Brewing Summer Collective
Another brand new client for Wild Heart, we were so thrilled to work with Folding Mountain Brewing to produce their first birthday party! The Folding Mountain Brewing Summer Collective featured, local vendors, live music, outdoor yoga and so much more! This party was one for the books, and we are honoured to call the folks at Folding Mountain Brewing new friends of ours (sorry, you’re stuck with us!) (Photos from @wildheart_yeg)
K-Days Collab with Vignettes
WHC was approached by our friends at Vignettes Design Series to work on a cool pilot project called “The Village” at K-Days. From July 20-29, we activated Hall B with a night market, state-of-the-art test kitchen by Russel Hendrix, beverage garden, fitness demonstrations with Fit Fest and container shop featuring On The Spot Pop-Ups and Maker’s Keep. It was an interesting 10 days and we got to work with some incredible local vendors and businesses. Thanks to Vignettes for letting us be a part of the cool things you do! (Photos from @wildheart_Yeg)
Eats on 118
Back for another sold out year, the very successful Eats on 118 returned to Alberta Avenue and Wild Heart was thrilled to be a part of it. This year’s event saw the return of some favourites but also some exciting new businesses added to the roster! Caribbean's Finest and Simba’s Den were both a hit with their vibrant menus and live entertainment! Wild Heart congratulates the Alberta Avenue Business Association on another year of this popular event!
Grand Taste Tour
This is hands down one of our favourite events of any season. Grand Taste Tour, in its 5th year, is an interactive, educational experience that celebrates and promotes local food grown and raised in Alberta. This year we ran our event in conjunction with Alberta Open Farm Days.
The Grand Taste Tour is a fundraising initiative that started in 2014 as a way to generate funds to facilitate operations of the 124 Grand Market, Little Beans, and Little Beans Farm Camp (coming soon!).
On August 18th, we headed out West of Edmonton to Wildwood to visit Violet Gardens, Wild Country Gardens, and ended at Stonepost Farms. It was a beautiful day, and out at Stonepost we had Camola Sustainable Foods, Original Redhead Condiments and Bent Stick Brewing join us to do demos and talk about their product. Partner restaurant and award winning Chef, Eric Hanson of Prairie Noodle House created a gorgeous meal al fresco in the pasture of Stonepost Farms. The photos speak for themselves. We want to thank everyone who joined us at this event and more importantly for all the partners who made the day incredible! We already cannot wait until next year! Photos by @wildheart_yeg and Almand Photography
Vignettes Design Series VIP Party
We do not have very many photos of this event because it was so busy! Wild Heart helped Vignettes Design Series with their VIP launch on September 21. We took care of the site work so they could spend the evening with Sponsors and participants. Needless to say it went incredibly (because everything that these folks do is amazing) and we are so GRATEFUL for such wonderful clients and friends!
Nuit Blanche Edmonton
So much can be said about this event. Wild Heart was privileged to work once again with Nuit Blanche Edmonton as the production body behind this spectacle. We brought over 10 different sites to life with contemporary artworks from across the country as well as Edmonton-based Artists. The event was well received and brought thousands of Edmontonians out to explore their city and take in the art. Much gratitude goes towards the partners, sponsors, and of course most importantly to the Nuit Blanche Edmonton Society for this incredible opportunity. Photos by Almand Photography
Beverly Dining Week
We are so lucky that we get to work with such amazing local food-based businesses! We were honoured to work with the Beverly Business Association and their hospitality businesses to create the first ever Olde Towne Beverly Dining Week in the fall. Wild Heart created all the design assets for this campaign as well as implemented the marketing and social media strategy for this week-long campaign. Working on this project introduced us to some wonderful business owners in the area who spoiled us with their delicious food! Be on the lookout for the return of Olde Town Beverly Dining Week in 2019!
Holiday Bazaar
2018 truly closed with a bang. The 6th Annual Holiday Bazaar presented by the 124 Grand Market was the biggest and brightest Holiday Bazaar to date. With over 80 Vendors per day, live entertainment, workshops and a licensed beverage area, this event saw over 3,300 folks over the course of the weekend. What a beautiful, humbling thing to see so many members of our Vendor community in one room to bring in the holidays. It was such a good time. Thanks to everyone who was involved!
We would like to thank EVERYONE who participated in Wild Heart Collective’s very successful year. To say we could not have done it without you is an understatement. Thank you for building with us this phenomenal community. We cherish you and look forward to 2019!
Happy New Year, from WHC!