13 Farmers’ Markets Worth Traveling For
Summer isn’t summer without loading up your tote bags at the farmers’ market. And while you may swear no vendor could possibly beat the piquant arugula at your neighborhood market, vacations are the ideal opportunity to taste some other local’s arugula, chat with a new cuke peddler, and nab the free samples at an unfamiliar jam stand. These 13 farmers’ markets around the country all have a strong emphasis on fermented, plant-based, and, of course, local fare, but they also look really—we mean really—good through the lens of your camera phone. You may want to pack some extra totes.
Courtesy of Jamestown1/13Ponce City Farmers' Market, Atlanta, GA
You can almost feel the hipster vibrations pulsing at “The Shed” off the Atlanta BeltLine, at this funky market that gets a ton of foot and bicycle traffic. There’s plenty of pop-up chefs’ stations, urban farmers, and Adidas Stan Smiths here, along with Mercier Orchards, whose handcrafted ciders are enough to convince the apple-averse to buy a four-pack. And any trip to The Shed sans pit stops at Heritage Farm, King of Pops (orange cream is a welcome throwback, but blackberry ginger lemonade is where it’s at), and Wanderlust Coffee is a greenmarket sweep done wrong.
Photo by Tiny Diner and Farm2/13Tiny Diner Farmers' Market, Minneapolis, MN
A veritable parking-lot party, this market is part of Tiny Diner and Farm, a restaurant with an impressive urban farming program. Opened in 2014 in the Powderhorn neighborhood of Minneapolis, it’s the passion project of restaurateur Kim Bartmann, a two-time James Beard semifinalist. On market day, we’re beelining for the Lebanese Toum from Grlk and exotic spices from Ancient Indian Spices, but there’s also Mexican pastries, dahlias, and more to cram into our bags. While TD’s own plants aren’t up for purchase, guests can wander around the garden and snack on exotic edible plants (cucamelons!) while they shop. Yes, there are bees on the roof, and the beekeeper sells his swag here, too.
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Photo by Matt Buikema3/13Pearl Farmers' Market, San Antonio, TX
Texas hospitality meets urban chic in this thriving market that wouldn’t seem out of place in Williamsburg or that other Texas city that Brooklynites seem to love. All 45+ vendors are located within a 150-mile radius of town, and they’ve got some of the finest locally produced cheeses your mouth will ever meet, along with a diverse selection of produce unique to Hill Country. And when the scent of lavender beckons, heed its call and march towards Imagine Lavender’s booth so you can try that whole DIY lavender-infused tea thing when you get home.
Photo by @coventryfarmersmarket4/13Coventry Farmers' Market, Coventry, CT
The Provision State delivers with CT-grown and -made food and, well, provisions alongside award-winning food trucks. Grab something for your four-legged pal at Baker’s Dozen (because your pet deserves grain-free treats, too) before hitting up a chef demo or guest lecture—“Intro to Chickens” was a recent option—or even flow your way through a yoga class. The unspoiled Connecticut countryside stays the same, but the 60+ vendors regularly change, so there’s always a new stand to discover. PSA: Bring all those knives you should have sharpened, oh, two years ago to Never a Dull Moment for a professional fixup.
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Photo by Denise Chambers5/13Boulder Farmers' Market, Boulder, CO
This famed gathering started 31 years ago and makes the most of the vast agricultural lands surrounding Boulder: the Saturday market boasts 82 vendors. Expect to fight fanatical Boulderites over that last head of sweet corn from Munson Farms or a handful of ‘shrooms from Hazel Dell Mushrooms. Veggie swag en tote, grab a bottle of kombucha from Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha or drinking chocolate from Fortuna Chocolate (go early or miss out). Before you leave, gather a stunning flower bouquet from Pastures of Plenty to complete the Instagram shot of the day’s bounty.
Photo by Colette Boehm6/13Coastal Alabama Farmers' and Fishermen's Market, Foley, AL
This Southern gem is a seafood fiend’s dream. Once you procure your just-caught plump prawns from Shrimp-n-Go, wander past more than 30 vendors on the 32-acre property, like Herb and Pepper Farms, which offers a dizzying assortment of microgreens and edible flowers. Once you’ve done a lap and loaded up on breads, honey, produce, salsa, and more, stop by the stands of local artisans like The Natural Wick, an all-natural soy candle company from the neighboring town of Gulf Shores.
Photo by @eastonfarmersmarket7/13Easton Farmers' Market, Easton, PA
Come for the live music and cold brew, leave with enough produce to make 85 bowls of our favorite summer chopped salad with feta and dill. This historic greenmarket is held in Centre Square—on July 8, 1776, one of only three public readings of the Declaration of Independence happened here. Follow your nose towards Jenny’s Kuali, which doles out Malaysian noodles and vegetarian entrees dusted with turmeric and curry. Then, stop by Eight Oaks Craft Distillers, a veteran-owned farm distillery (then maybe head back to Jenny’s for dumplings).
8/13TD Saturday Market, Greenville, SC
This rising Southern city has brought its farmers’ market game to a new level. Since it opened in 2003, thousands flock to the weekly seasonal market, which requires that all food be grown or produced within 100 miles of the city. Stand with your cold-pressed Kuka Juice and marvel at how massive the eggplants are on the Greenbriar Farms table, then eavesdrop on locals exchanging green tomato recipes and debating which of the seven flavors of goat cheese from Spinning Spider Creamery reigns supreme.
Photo by @raalmaan19/13Kenosha HarborMarket, Kenosha, WI
Picture this: You’re in Wisconsin and full up on cheese curds and sausage (it can happen). For grub that leans healthyish, this market’s milieu has you covered with River Valley Mushroom Farm and Jerry Smith Produce & Pumpkin Farm. But if you do feel like indulging, Myrtle Mae’s Sugar Emporium’s cookie dough balls are worth the sugar crash. For a busy, European-style mixed market with more than 150 vendors, the HarborMarket maintains a pretty calm atmosphere, probably thanks to the ample greenery and peaceful shores of Lake Michigan rolling nearby.
10/13The Farmers' Market at Lake Walk Town Center, Bryan-College Station, TX
Launched in May 2017, this market is a cornucopia of jams, pecans, pickled everything, soaps, candles, and more at over 20 stands (don’t skip delighting your taste buds with Jimmy Bobby’s Sausage, crafted in Bryan). Live music and food trucks lend a party feel to the weekly event, which swaps the de facto weekend schedule for post-work Wednesdays. For vacationers, the timing makes it a good choice following stand-up paddleboarding on the lake or climbing up a 75-foot tower called The Lookout. Worth noting: Once you taste Patrick Gendron’s homegrown tomatoes, other tomatoes will never taste as good.
Photo by Chris Council and Emily Chaplin11/13Aspen Saturday Market, Aspen, CO
Don’t forget to look up from your peach hunting and eggplant squeezing: The mountain views are breathtaking. Now 19 years old, this 120+ vendor greenmarket is a U-shaped Shangri-La featuring an airstream trailer with two local ceramicists, a milliner, a glassblower, and about 30 farmers from the fertile Roaring Fork Valley. Between bites of locally made cheese at Avalanche Cheese and fennel from Sustainable Settings, we’re swooning for the adorable llamas from nonprofit Aspen Tree. Wait, is that a puppy? You’ll have to pry yourself away from the adoptable dogs and cats at the Aspen Shelter stand.
Photo by Danielle Gaebel12/13Callicoon Farmers’ Market, Callicoon, NY
In the Hamptons, a spider-sighting elicits a scream and a call to the exterminator; in the Catskills, you’ll get shrugged shoulders and a smile. The laidback, laissez-faire attitude extends to their greenmarkets, as evident at this year-round market opened in 2000. All vendors grow or produce their own goods and operate within 75 miles of town, like Lucky Dog Organic Farm and Willow Wisp Organic Farm, which win us over with their nettles, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh lilacs. Set along the Callicoon Creek, some other highlights include Northern Farmhouse Pasta (the first pasta maker to use 100% NY-grown wheat) and Oakworks Studio, woodwork made from local lumber—a handsome reminder that your apartment is too small for more furniture, and perhaps it’s time to hightail it to this sprawling mountain range.
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Photo by Brenda Kelley13/13The Santa Fe Farmers' Market, Santa Fe, NM
Strict vendor standards—100% of the produce, meat, dairy, and eggs must be grown or raised in New Mexico, and no reselling allowed —yield pretty incredible results. On any given day, your loot may include fresh, dried, and powdered red and green chiles, bundled sage shaped into animal figures and flower shapes, and apple cider slushies. Don’t leave without Shishito peppers, and, if you’re driving home, some red worms for composting with the all the produce skins and stems you’re about to have on hand.
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