St. Jacobs, Ontario, Canada
Post Office:N0B 2N0
Number of Homes:650
Number of Businesses: 108
Industry(s):Tourism, Retail, Home Hardware Distribution Centre and Head Office,
Early Innovations with Electrical Generation and Distribution
Rated 10 out of 10 as "must visit" with 4 solid reasons
Reasons: History, Culture, Shopping, Comfortable Atmosphere
Map of St. Jacobs
St. Jacobs Attraction(s) - Mennonites, , Farmers Market, Outlet Malls, Shopping, Live Theatre, River & Trails, Heritage, Accomodations.
Festivals & Celebrations: Maple Syrup Festival, Quilt Festival, Oktoberfest.
Getting There:
Take Hwy. 401 to the Hwy. 8 exit.
Get on Hwy 86 north and follow it through
Kitchener and Waterloo to regional road 15
until you reach St. Jacobs
N43° 32.2248', W080° 33.2399'
SUMMER 2011 FEATURE
Simply Spectacular
St. Jacobs is a spectacular tourism success story, a small community that has become one of the preeminent visitor attractions in the country. In fact, the St. Jacobs “district” reaches well beyond the boundaries of the village of St. Jacobs, because there is just too much good stuff here to be confined within official municipal boundaries. That’s why some of the key St. Jacobs attractions, such as the Outlet Mall, the Farmers Market and Market Road Antiques, are located a few short kilometers south of the village.
Both in the village and in the Market district, visitors will find the biggest welcome mat imaginable.
Visitors quickly become big fans of St. Jacobs. One guest said: “The farmers’ market is one of the largest I’ve ever been to. There is a huge building that houses local butchers, cheesemakers, bakers, sellers of homemade fudge and preserves (and too many more things than I can mention) and artisans, just to name a few.”
Another added: “This visit to St. Jacobs was definitely an enjoyable road trip. If you have a chance to visit, do – there are a bunch of things to see there.”
Shoppers can be excused if their heads spin at the “bunch of” options. Where to start? There are the 30 shops of the busy St. Jacobs Outlet Mall, the authentic and multi-faceted St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market & Flea Market, the multiple dealers in the Market Road Antiques and, of course, the village of St. Jacobs, itself.
The truth it, it doesn’t really matter where you start, as long as you have allowed plenty of time to take in the vast variety of friendly, welcoming stores, shops, and attractions.
And yet, visitors discover that the small-town atmosphere pervades the village of St. Jacobs, and the Farmers’ Market is authentically Waterloo County. The more than 100 shops of the village are on all sides as you stroll down the friendly streets. You’ll find tantalizing treasures in stores along the street front, or inside the historic mill and even in its silos. There is much for everyone here, from handcrafts to fashions and of course, St. Jacobs is the place for real, down-home Waterloo Country taste treats, found everywhere in the village and at the Farmers’ Market.
In the village you’ll love the dining delights of Benjamin’s. For authentic Waterloo County Fare, diners love the home-style cuisine and service at the iconic Stone Crock. And nearby on the main street is the neighbourhood grill experience at Jacob’s Grill.
For take-home treats and great snacks, visit Picard’s Peanuts. Shoppers linger in stores like Angel Treasures, featuring all things angelic. At Turtle Dove Native Gifts, you’ll find art and handmade First Nations crafts. At the heart of the shopping section is a Canadian heritage treasure – the original Home Hardware building, still a full-service Home Hardware store. The Home Hardware headquarters is still in St. Jacobs, covering a few blocks south of the downtown.
While you are downtown, drop in at the Visitor Centre, where you can learn about the village’s heritage, and its long-time connection with the Old Order Mennonites who come to town by horse and buggy.
Most Village of St. Jacobs shops are open Monday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday, noon to 5:30 pm.
A short drive south of the village brings you to three more must-see attractions. At the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, 500 vendors offer variety beyond imagination, from all the foodie delights to the unending bargains of the flea market. Plus, there are horse-drawn tours, a petting zoo, and other attractions... and Market Road Antiques mall right across the road. The Antiques mall includes 100 dealers.
The Farmers Market is open Thursday and Saturday, year-round, and Tuesdays from June 14 to August 30. Market Road Antiques is open seven days a week.
And just across the other road – this is a district packed with action and attractions – is the very popular St. Jacobs Outlet Mall, featuring great factory outlets such as Oxford Mills Bedding & Towels, the Paderno Factory Outlet, and Toy Building Zone, a great source for LEGO, and wildly popular with the younger crowd.
Also in this area is a superb place to stay during your multi-day visit to multi-faceted St. Jacobs: the Best Western St. Jacobs Country Inn.
There are other fine reasons to visit St. Jacobs. The village is home to three theatres – the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre, The Church Theatre in the Village and The St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, which presents the lively plays produced by the Drayton Festival.
This theatrical season, theatre goers can enjoy productions at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, including “Murder at the Best Western” (retitled as a tribute to the neighbouring hotel), July 20-Aug. 7; “Blood Brothers”, Oct. 12- Nov. 5; and “The Wizard of Oz,” Nov. 16-Dec. 18.
Meanwhile, St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre, stages “Blue Suede Shows: Memories of the King,” a salute to the music of Elvis Presley, Sept. 7-Dec. 17.
The ancient art of quilting has found new fans in the modern era, and quilt lovers know St. Jacobs is the best place to enjoy shops and shows that include the year-round exhibit at the St. Jacobs Quilt Gallery in The Mill. Also at The Mill are three other exhibits which welcome the public: the Model Train Exhibit, featuring various local scenes in miniature; the Home Hardware Exhibit and the History of Commercial Lighting Exhibit; and the Maple Syrup Museum.
There are quaint communities, and there are first-level visitor destinations, but it is unusual to find one place that combines all the best of both. St. Jacobs has managed that feat – you will discover everything you want in this shopping and entertainment destination, but you’ll never lose the sense that you are enjoying small-town Ontario at its very best.
Copyright Exchange Business Communications Inc. 2011
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Posted Spring 2011
St. Jacobs: Where Today’s Tradition Meets Tomorrow’s Technology
Thirty-five years ago, St. Jacobs was a quiet village located a few kilometers north of Waterloo. When visitors came to the community, it was to catch a glimpse of Old Order Mennonites travelling in their traditional horse-drawn buggies.
Today, the Mennonites are still here – as attested to by the hitching posts located throughout the community – and so are many of the traditional crafts associated with a Waterloo County lifestyle. The St. Jacobs tourist district has grown to become much more; in fact, it is one of the premier tourism destinations in the country.
The tourist district has managed to grow to attract what some estimates say are 1 million visitors a year. All this while still keeping one foot firmly placed in the traditions of the area.
How is that possible? Jenny Shantz, curator of what’s come to be known as of St. Jacobs Country, insists that it did not come easily. “It’s 35 years of working at it,” she says. Jenny is the daughter of the late Milo Shantz, the visionary entrepreneur who, with his life-long business partner, his brother, Ross Shantz, made the St. Jacobs district what it is today.
Jenny is quick to note, though, that while Milo (who passed away in 2009), and Ross were the founders, the success story owes a lot to “lots of other really supportive, creative people.”
Milo’s original St. Jacobs business continues to attract tourists, 35 years after it was founded: it was the Stone Crock Restaurant, where people still flock to enjoy Waterloo County home style cooking and family style service. Today, the Stone Crock is one of many restaurants and hundreds of businesses that are part of the much-expanded St. Jacobs District.
The “district” includes the Village or St. Jacobs, itself, with about 100 shops located along the main street, the side streets, and in heritage buildings including the mill’s silos. In addition there is the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market & Flea Market, located a few kilometers south of the village. The Farmers’ Market is open Thursday and Saturday, year-round, and Tuesdays from June 14 to August 30, and is home to 500 dealers. Nearby is the St. Jacobs Outlet Mall, with 30 stores. Across the road, 100 vendors of Market Road Antiques are open seven days a week.
Added together, St. Jacobs Country has become one of the most popular visitor districts in the country. Milo Shantz would be proud – he played the key role in opening the farm market, and had a persistent vision for the Outlet Mall – a popular shopping stop that has inspired plenty of other nearby businesses, as well.
The unique attractions and shops of the St. Jacobs district have made it particularly resilient to economic fluctuations. Jenny Shantz reports that the shop fronts are full in the village; “in the general scheme of things, we’re optimistic for the season ahead.” Meanwhile, Lynn Wolf of the Outlet Mall says the 30 businesses that are a staple in the mall are thriving.
There are special events on the St. Jacobs calendar – including live performances at very active local theatres – but the real secret to success here is that St. Jacobs district is a special event, every day of the year.
Shantz says that this is especially true on Farmers’ Market days, when thousands of locals and visitors stream to the district. But even on days when the market is not operating, the village is open and welcoming, the Market Road Antiques mall is busy, and the Outlet Mall is a destination in its own right.
Wolf says that since the Outlet Mall is not the gargantuan development that sometimes is associated with that name, many shoppers consider the St. Jacobs Outlet Mall to be “their own shopping secret.” She says the Mall is known for many long-term tenants who know their customers well. She stresses the “value added” benefits of an outlet mall, but also acknowledges that the location – across the road from the Farmers Market – is a huge plus.
Wolf noted key features of the outlet mall – the Toy Building Zone, which is a LEGO store plus more. People – adults and children – are welcome to come and play... and they do. “It’s an opportunity for parents and kids to come in and have a good time.”
And she also points to the growing number of fashion outlets; there are wonderful places to shop for both women’s and men’s clothing.
Every element of the St. Jacobs district has every-day highlights. Although the range of shops is as varied as you could imagine, the village still has artisans who can be watched making the items they will sell. In the silos there are potters, weavers, glass blowers and a broom maker. Also, the village still has a forge, in operation to make iron works and blown glass. These were the original crafts of the village, and the village has not forgotten them.
In the same way, the Farmers Market features much local produce and handcrafts, as well as cuisine from around the world. The vast array of goods is suggested by the term “Flea Market.”
The district does feature attractions that educate and inform visitors about the history and traditions of the area. Visitors enjoy the St. Jacobs Quilt Gallery on the third level of The Mill, the Model Train Exhibit, featuring various local scenes in miniature, the Home Hardware Exhibit, the History of Electricity Exhibit; and the Maple Syrup Museum.
The booming district known as St. Jacobs Country has come a long way in 35 years. And the good news is, in some ways it hasn’t changed at all. For the best of all worlds, this is an entertaining place to be, any day in every season.
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