A Temporary Extension Endorsement (under a Brewery, Winery and/or Distillery Licence) allows licensed manufacturers to sell their eligible 100% Ontario wine, spirits or beer at a temporary extension of their retail store within a farmers’ market or at a premises for which a permit has been issued for an industry promotional event.  

Manufacturers may sell at a farmers’ market no more than three days in any given week, and up to ten consecutive days for an industry promotional event. Licensees must provide the Registrar with advance notice of the location and intended dates for the sale of liquor  at Ontario farmers’ markets or industry promotional events. 

Manufacturers may sell under a temporary extension endorsement only at industry promotional events for which an industry promotional Special Occasion Permit has been issued, or within farmers’ markets as defined in Regulation 746. Manufacturers are not authorized to operate at the farmers’ markets if the Registrar determines and notifies the licensee that all or a substantial number of the products sold or offered for sale at a farmers’ market are liquor.  

For the most up-to-date list of participating manufacturers and eligible liquor sales, please refer to the below List of Eligible Liquor Sales at Farmers’ Markets or Industry Promotional Events (which is also available in .csv format under an Open Government Licence). 

Manufacturers may apply for a temporary extension endorsement under their brewery, distillery, or winery licence, online, through the iAGCO portal.  

Temporary Extension Endorsement Requirements 

To be eligible for a temporary extension endorsement, wineries, distilleries or breweries must: 

  • have a valid AGCO Manufacturer’s Licence to Sell (i.e., Brewery, Distillery or Winery Licence)
  • hold a Winery, Distillery or Brewery Retail Store Endorsement
  • and produce one of the following: 
    • “Ontario wine” as defined in subsection 1(1) of the Liquor Licence and Control Act, except for Ontario wine that is produced using any combination of the concentrated juice of apples that were not all grown in Ontario.  
    • Spirits, if at least 50 per cent of the volume of spirits in the container holding them is made, from start to finish, at a production site in Ontario. 
    • Beer, if the full brewing process takes place at the production site in Ontario. 

If you are a manufacturer that produces eligible wine, spirits and/or beer you will also require separate temporary extension endorsements (i.e., winery, distillery and/or brewery) to sell each type of liquor at farmers’ markets or industry promotional events as a temporary extension of your retail stores. 

Manufacturers must ensure that any eligible wine, spirits or beer that are offered for sale at the farmers’ market or industry promotional event and that are not sold, are returned to the manufacturer’s store within 72 hours from the time the farmers’ market or the industry promotional event ends.

The sale of eligible wine, spirits, and/or beer may be sold during the hours of the farmers’ market or industry promotional event. A farmers’ market can further limit the hours of sale of eligible wine, eligible spirits, and/or eligible beer as can a municipality when a farmers’ market is located on municipal property. 

For additional questions regarding this program, please email licensing@agco.ca or call customer service at 416-326-8700, or toll free at 1-800-522-2876. You can also submit your questions through iAGCO. 

Notification Requirement 

Manufacturers with a temporary extension endorsement (brewery, distillery and/or winery) must provide the AGCO with at least 10 days’ notice of planned sales at farmers’ markets (i.e., days of sale that have been confirmed with a farmers’ market) or at an industry promotional event (including the number of consecutive days). If the intended days of sale are cancelled or changed, please notify the AGCO at the earliest possible opportunity. 

Notification to the AGCO of your planned sales at farmers’ markets or at industry promotional events can be submitted online through iAGCO.  

The AGCO will notify you if any municipal objections have been received regarding any of the farmers’ markets or industry promotional events where you intend to sell your wine, eligible spirits or eligible beer. 

Municipalities can prohibit the sale of eligible liquor products at any or all farmers’ markets or industry promotional events within their jurisdiction at any time by providing a written objection to the Registrar. 

If a municipality informs the AGCO that it is objecting to the sale of wine, spirits, and/or beer at a specific farmers’ market or industry promotional event, the AGCO will notify the manufacturer that it must immediately cease selling the wine, spirits and/or beer that the municipality has objected to at the particular market or event.  

Each manufacturer must make its own individual arrangements with specific farmers’ markets or with industry promotional events to sell their eligible wine, spirits and/or beer.

List of Eligible Liquor Sales at Farmers’ Markets or Industry Promotional Events 

Available in a downloadable .csv format* under an Open Government Licence.

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