A Respite for Artists: The Kamloops Artisans’ Bazaar and Soup Desire Cafe
Whether you are looking for delicious, locally-sourced foods or to support artisans in the Kamloops art community, the Kamloops Artisans’ Bazaar and Desire Soup Café offers an experience of both.
Located within the downtown area and only a block away from the Lansdowne bus exchange at 705 Victoria Street, the Artisans’ Bazaar highlights the creative community. Showcasing the products of over 50 local artisans, a wide variety of handcrafted goods are available: pottery, paintings, toys, jewellery, soaps, books, and much, much more. With the Artisans’ Bazaar being open to hosting more vendors, there is always new handcrafted goods to indulge in.
The Artisans’ Bazaar was recently acquired by Francesco and his family in November of 2024, who have integrated their catering business, Mediterraneo, alongside the Bazaar through the Desire Soup Café. Much like the Artisans’ Bazaar, their goals to support the local community are seen in their food. Made from scratch and with local ingredients, Francesco offers Mediterranean-inspired dishes to the people of Kamloops.
Having only been under Francesco’s management for the past few months, the Kamloops Artisans’ Bazaar and Desire Soup Café is an up-and-coming location within Kamloops. With plans to create more events in the future, such as the Open Stage event to take place the afternoon of March 15th, Francesco and his family aim to create an environment for creativity, connection, and mutual appreciation among locals.
The Kamloops Artisans’ Bazaar is an ideal location for everyone to visit; for those looking to grab a bite to eat during lunch break, admire and purchase local handmade goods, or even wanting to display your own artistic crafts and talents, Francesco has created a welcoming respite for the local community.