Liquor sales at artisan, farmers and annual markets

On this page:

• Liquor manufacturers
• Market organizers
• Market policies and rules

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Liquor manufacturers

Responsibilities

Only licensed liquor manufacturers with an on-site store endorsement are permitted to sell packaged liquor and samples at markets.

If you are a liquor manufacturer and want to sell at an artisan, farmers or annual market you must:

• Apply for a market authorization
• Confirm that the local government or Indigenous Nation at the market’s location allows the sale of packaged liquor at markets
• Make sure the market is eligible

Authorization display

During each market, you must post your market authorization form in a prominent location in your vendor area.

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Apply for a market authorization

To apply for a market authorization, visit the liquor and cannabis licensing portal.

Market authorizations are auto-approved and can be downloaded immediately.

Fees

There is no cost to apply.

Application guidelines

The application must include:

• The market dates
  • The authorization will only be valid for the series of market dates submitted
  • The market authorization is only valid during market hours
• A market business number or an incorporation/registration number

If you wish to sell at two different markets, you need a separate authorization for each one.

• For example, if there is a one market in Osoyoos and another in Penticton

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Market organizers

Organizers of eligible artisan, farmers and annual markets can let liquor manufacturers with the necessary authorization:

• Provide liquor samples
• Sell liquor products for off-site consumption

Liquor manufacturers include:

• Wineries, breweries and distilleries  
• Cideries and meaderies

Eligibility

Markets must be managed or held by:

• An organization incorporated under the Business Corporations Act or Canada Business Corporations Act; 
• An organization incorporated under the Society Act or Canada Not for profit Corporations Act; 
• A municipality or regional district; 
• The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

To be eligible to host liquor manufacturers, markets must:

• Consist of more than half of vendors who sell artisanal goods of their own making, processed/prepared food, ready-to-eat food, or agricultural goods they produce, grow, or raise themselves
  • Excluding a licensed manufacturer who holds a market authorization
• Host at least six vendors that don’t sell or serve liquor
  • The sale of liquor must not be the focus of the market
• Occur a maximum of three times a week
  • Annual markets can occur once a year and may be open for up to 35 consecutive days.

Responsibilities

You don’t have to apply to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) to host liquor manufacturers.

If you want to invite liquor manufacturers, contact your local government or Indigenous Nation to find out if there is a local rule preventing the sale of packaged liquor at a market.

If you invite liquor manufacturers, make sure they have a market authorization issued by the LCRB.

• If they don’t have a market authorization, they can’t sell liquor at a market

If a market is eligible to host liquor manufacturers and they choose to do so

• The number and type are at the discretion of the market organizer

The market must provide each liquor manufacturer with a defined sales area for their liquor products.

Markets at a location with a liquor licence

If you have liquor primary licence for an arena, stadium or conference centre and you want to host a market, you don’t need to de-licence before hosting. 

However, you can’t sell liquor at the market under your own liquor primary licence.

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Market policies and rules

• Liquor can only be sold from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., or within the hours stipulated on the manufacturer’s store endorsement 
  • If a market begins at 6 a.m., liquor cannot be sold until 7 a.m.
• All market sales must be reported as sales from the manufacturer’s on-site store
• All staff selling liquor at the market must have Serving It Right certification and must be over 19
• The market must provide a defined sales area for liquor products.
  • The manufacturer cannot sell outside of this area
• Sampling must take place within the sales area
  • Patrons can’t remove samples from the sales area and walk around the market

Liquor sample examples

Type of Liquor	Single Product	Multiple Product
Wine	20 ml	30 ml
Spirits	10 ml	20 ml
Beer/Cider/Coolers	30 ml	45 ml