All welcome as MarketFest: In Peace and Friendship returns to Laurier’s Brantford campus March 26

March 5, 2026
For Immediate Release

BRANTFORD — Wilfrid Laurier University invites the community to MarketFest: In Peace and Friendship, a vibrant celebration of Indigenous artists, performers and makers, returning March 26 to the One Market building at Laurier’s Brantford campus.

The free, public event builds on the success of the inaugural MarketFest held in September 2024 and will once again transform One Market’s atrium into a dynamic Indigenous vendor marketplace. Curated by artist and Laurier alum Alanah Jewell (BA ’19) of Morningstar Designs, the marketplace will showcase a diverse range of Indigenous artisans and entrepreneurs specializing in everything from painted canvases to beadwork. Guests can also enjoy live Indigenous performers and explore the newly launched MarketFest: In Peace and Friendship podcast.

“Laurier is committed to building relationships and working in partnership with local Indigenous communities, and MarketFest is one way we are doing that,” said Laurier President and Vice-Chancellor Deborah MacLatchy. “We are excited to host this significant event for a second time.”   

The inaugural MarketFest was recognized with two major awards: the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Best of District II Award for Special Events, In-Person (Multi-Day), and silver in the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education’s Prix d’Excellence for Best Indigenous/Reconciliation Event.

“Laurier has committed to restoring mutual benefit in One Market for Indigenous peoples and settlers alike,” said Laurier Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Initiatives Darren Thomas. “Continuing to host MarketFest in this space is a meaningful step toward fulfilling that commitment.”

The One Market location has a longstanding history among local Indigenous communities as a site of trade. That tradition continued with the arrival of settlers to the area and the early establishment of what is now the City of Brantford. The area was to remain free and open for all to use, allowing the Six Nations and their settler neighbours in Brantford to mutually benefit from trade. Over time, that spirit of mutual benefit eroded: market fees were imposed and Indigenous vendors were no longer welcome. By the 1980s the land was expropriated, a farmers’ market at the site was moved, and a shopping mall was built in its place. The Eaton Market Square mall, like so many others in downtowns across the country, failed to thrive. 

Laurier purchased One Market from the City of Brantford in 2014 and is incrementally transforming it into vibrant spaces that support the continued growth of the Brantford campus, attract community members to the heart of the city, and create a hub for student and community activity.

Mindful of the complex history of this land, the university is working toward restoring mutual benefit as part of its commitment to reconciliation and Indigenization. MarketFest is one expression of that commitment.

MarketFest takes place Thursday, March 26, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at One Market (1 Market St.). A detailed schedule will soon be available at wlu.ca/marketfest.  

The event is supported by Laurier Brantford Grants, Laurier’s Strategic Initiatives Fund, the Margaret Stedman Brantford Endowment and the Ruth Stedman Brantford Endowment.