Best farmer's market in every state

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July 26, 2018
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Best farmer's market in every state

Farmers have been a vital part of America since the early days of the nation. While the rise of grocery stores and supermarkets have made the process of buying food much more convenient, many home cooks and culinary aficionados prefer to buy their fruits and vegetables directly from those who grew them. There are more than 8,000 farmers markets across America and their popularity means that residents of all 50 states, from Alabama to Wyoming, have access to fresh produce.

To help people find the best farmers market in every state, Stacker analyzed Foursquare data to identify the top pick. This data is the result of user rankings and other information points that comprise Foursquare's proprietary scoring system. The highest score in each of the 50 states determined the best farmers markets for inclusion on this list.

Read on to learn about the historic public market that has been drawing in eager shoppers since the mid-19th century, and the weekly events that bring fresh veggies to the masses, rain or shine.

ALSO: Click here to see the best farmers markets in America.

Alabama

Alabama: Pepper Place Saturday Market

Address: 2829 2nd Ave. S., Birmingham

Foursquare rating: 9.2

The Pepper Place Market had humble beginnings: just a few tents outside of a repurposed commercial area that transformed into a food hall. Now it’s grown to more than 100 vendors sprawling across multiple streets, with 10,000 people attending each day at the height of summertime. The 18-year-old market is open year-round for eager Alabamians, with every product sold coming from within a 200-mile radius.

 

Alaska

Alaska: Anchorage Downtown Market & Festival

Address: 344 W. 3rd Ave. (between C and E), Anchorage

Foursquare rating: 8.9

Every weekend from May through the beginning of September, Alaskans celebrate sunshine at the Anchorage Downtown Market & Festival, the largest open-air market in the state. Three hundred vendors set up shop selling local Alaskan wares from bison, elk and salmon to golden sunrise raspberries. The market has been around since 1992, and takes up two full acres of the downtown area.

 

Arizona

Arizona: Gilbert Farmers Market

Address: 222 N. Ash St., Gilbert

Foursquare rating: 8.8

Head just west of Gilbert’s iconic Water Tower on Saturday mornings to visit the Gilbert Farmers Market. Less than a decade old, the market plays host to more than 60 vendors during the summer and closer to 100 in the fall and spring. Skip the market during the Gilbert Days Parade—one of only two days the market is closed. The other is the last Saturday in December.

 

Arkansas

Arkansas: Fayetteville Farmers Market

Address: 101 W. Mountain St., Fayetteville

Foursquare rating: 9.2

Open since 1973, the Fayetteville Farmers Market is available almost year-round and was named fifth-best farmers’ market in America in 2011. This market is open three days a week—Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday—and provides the residents of Arkansas’s third largest city with produce all grown within 60 miles.

 

California

California: Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Address: 1 Ferry Building (Market Street and The Embarcadero), San Francisco

Foursquare rating: 9.5

The Ferry Market is a must-stop in San Francisco for lovers of food: Right outside the building every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, up to 40,000 people swarm the grounds to pick up tomatoes, plums and much more from local farmers. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a full-on celebration of California’s agricultural prowess, and Thursday nights are especially fun with a diverse line-up of artisanal street food vendors.

 

Colorado

Colorado: Boulder Farmers Market

Address: 13th St. (between Canyon and Arapahoe), Boulder

Foursquare rating: 9.1

Lucky Boulder residents get two servings of this market that's open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the spring and summer. The Saturday market features live music every week along with nine ranchers, four apiaries offering honey from local bees and a plethora of farmers offering everything from freshly foraged mushrooms to sweet cherries. The “Grown to Go” program replaces trendy meal-box services like Blue Apron by providing pre-selected produce and recipes from a local chef to take the guesswork out of cooking.

 

Connecticut

Connecticut: Coventry Regional Farmers' Market

Address: 2299 South St., Coventry

Foursquare rating: 8.8

The Coventry Regional Farmers Market is held Sundays from June through October at the Hale Homestead, the historic home of Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale. Visitors can expect fresh garlic, peaches and creative flavors of jam from upwards of 75 vendors selling Connecticut-grown produce at the largest farmers market in the state.  

 

Delaware

Delaware: Willey Farms

Address: 4092 DuPont Pkwy (Willey Dr.), Townsend

Foursquare rating: 9.0

More of a produce market than a traditional farmers market, Willey Farms makes it a point to give their customers access to alternatives to big supermarket chains. They say on their website, “We enthusiastically support our local farmers and growers to supply local, in-season produce to our customers.”

 

Florida

Florida: Pinecrest Gardens Green Market

Address: 5855 SW 111th St., Pinecrest

Foursquare rating: 9.2

The Miami New Times named Pinecrest Gardens Green Market “Best Farmer’s Market in Miami” in 2010 and 2015. Open year-round, it hosts Miami residents Florida’s bounty from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday. Goose eggs, dragon fruit and conch fritters are among the more exotic offerings at this market.

 

Georgia

Georgia: Your Dekalb Farmers Market

Address: 3000 E. Ponce de Leon Ave. (at Laredo Dr.), Decatur

Foursquare rating: 9.3

Georgia is known for its peaches and other stone fruit, all of which can be found at Your Dekalb Farmers Market. It's another produce distributor that operates more like an everyday market than a farmers market. Produce is what launched the market to success in 1977, but they’ve now grown to include a deli, floral department, coffee shop and more.

 

Hawaii

Hawaii: Farmers Market and Deli

Address: 3636 Lower Honoapi'ilani Rd., Lahaina, Maui

Foursquare rating: 8.5

Hawaii’s fruits and vegetables are in a league of their own, since they have their own ecosystem. You can find local pineapples and lilikoi (passionfruit) at this market, unlike most others. They run a full farmers’ market on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, where people mingle with the local farmers.

 

Idaho

Idaho: The New Boise Farmers Market

Address: Grove St. (between 10th and 11th), Boise

Foursquare rating: 8.4

The New Boise Farmers Market lives up to its name, since it was only established in 2013. The market offers the usual fresh produce and prepared food vendors in addition to Chop! cooking classes every first Saturday of the month in the summer, where kids can learn how to cook farmers market meals.

 

Illinois

Illinois: Green City Market in Lincoln Park

Address: 1790 N. Clark St. (between Dickens Ave. and LaSalle Dr.), Chicago

Foursquare rating: 9.5

Chicago’s cold weather and frequent snow keeps people indoors for most of the winter, but when the ground thaws, the Green City Market in Lincoln Park really heats up. The Green City Market actually operates three different markets, but this location is the most popular with two weekly editions, Wednesday and Saturday mornings, that pull in chefs and food-lovers alike. Every July, the market holds their much-anticipated Chef BBQ fundraiser, where more than 100 of Chicago’s best restaurants provide tasting portions of their signature dishes.

 

Indiana

Indiana: Bloomington Farmers Market

Address: Showers building (Morton St.), Bloomington

Foursquare rating: 8.7

Bloomington’s population increases exponentially every fall when University of Indiana students are in school, so this farmers market is open on Saturdays year-round and Tuesdays between June and September. They offer a weekly list for their customers to keep track of what’s in season, like shallots, Cortland apples and kohlrabi. One of the biggest events of the summer is the market’s salsa contest, held in early August for the past 30 years.

 

Iowa

Iowa: Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market

Address: 400 E. Court Ave. (between 5th and 1st St.), Des Moines

Foursquare rating: 9.3

Consistently named one of the best farmers markets in America, the vendors here represent 50 counties across Iowa. In the Historic Court District, this downtown market thrives from the first Saturday of May through Halloween.

 

Kansas

Kansas: Lawrence Downtown Farmers Market

Address: 830 New Hampshire St. (8th St.), Lawrence

Foursquare rating: 8.8

The best market in Kansas is so strongly focused on locally grown foods that everything sold at the market comes from within a 50-mile radius of Lawrence. Right now, the market even offers a free $5 token to anyone who interacts with the market on social media or shows up at 8 a.m. on the dot. They also have a generous pet policy, with dogs allowed on short leashes.

 

Kentucky

Kentucky: Friendly Market

Address: 10050 Norbotten Dr., Florence

Foursquare rating: 8.1

The Friendly Market is a year-round public market that offers an outdoor farmers pavilion from April through Halloween. The indoor section of the market sells Kentucky-made products like bourbon and beer, along with olive oil, ice cream and wines made on small farms.

 

Louisiana

Louisiana: French Market

Address: 1008 N. Peters St. (between Ursulines Ave. and Barracks St.), New Orleans

Foursquare rating: 8.8

New Orleans’ famous French Quarter is the setting for the French Market every day, but Wednesday is the day to show up for those looking for a true farmers market. On Wednesdays, the French Market hosts the Crescent City Farmers Market, with a wide selection of local produce vendors for residents to stock up on their gumbo-making supplies.

 

Maine

Maine: Portland Farmers Market: Deering Oaks

Address: Deering Oaks Park, Portland

Foursquare rating: 8.7

Portland, Maine shows off the best of the state at the Portland Farmers Market in Deering Oaks Park on Saturdays from late April to mid-November. Up to 38 farms have showcase spots in one of Portland’s largest green spaces, so head over to find Maine's famous blueberries and apples.


 

Maryland

Maryland: Baltimore Farmers Market & Bazaar

Address: E. Saratoga St. and Holliday St. (under the JFX), Baltimore

Foursquare rating: 9.4

Running every Sunday from April until Christmas time, the expansive Baltimore Farmers Market & Bazaar boasts more than 120 vendors, including 26 new ones for the 2018 season. This combination market-bazaar offers free parking and special themes on the first Sunday of the month that began in 2017 to celebrate the market’s 40th anniversary.

 

Massachusetts

Massachusetts: Volante Farms

Address: 292 Forest St. (Central Ave.), Needham, MA

Foursquare rating: 9.3

At just over 100 years old, Volante Farms has been a vital part of the Boston suburb of Needham. Less a farmers market and more a market that sells the goods of Volante Farms itself, the farmstand offers fresh produce, ice cream and a quickserve restaurant that all pays tribute to the best that New England has to offer.

 

Michigan

Michigan: Ann Arbor Farmers Market

Address: 315 Detroit St., Ann Arbor

Foursquare rating: 9.2

Ann Arbor may be a college town, but that doesn’t mean it’s all pizza and beer. The nearly 100-year-old Ann Arbor Farmers Market is open on Saturdays all year long, despite the cold Michigan temperatures. The Wednesday market operates from May until December from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. On the first Wednesday of every month, May through October, hungry shoppers can also find Ann Arbor’s best food trucks alongside top farms and food producers from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

 

Minnesota

Minnesota: Minneapolis Farmers Market Annex

Address: 200 E. Lyndale Ave. N. (between Glenwood and Olson Mem Hwy), Minneapolis

Foursquare rating: 9.1

The Lyndale market has been open since 1937, and 230 different vendors rotate between the 170 available stalls. Minnesotans can come to the Minneapolis Farmers Market every day in the summer, and more limited hours in the winter, to enjoy the finest Minnesota produce.

 

Mississippi

Mississippi: Mississippi Farmers Market

Address: 929 High St., Jackson

Foursquare rating: 8.1

The state of Mississippi itself is responsible for the Mississippi Farmers Market, a rain-or-shine building full of the finest products from the state, plus crafts and artisanal foods from Mississippi residents. Butter beans, peaches, bok choy, persimmons and so much more can be found at the 18,000-foot Jackson facility that’s open on Thursday and Saturday mornings.

 

Missouri

Missouri: Soulard Farmers Market

Address: 730 Carroll St. (at 7th Blvd & Lafayette Ave.), St Louis

Foursquare rating: 9.3

Open since 1779, this market is much more than a one day pop-up every week. From Wednesday to Saturday, St. Louis residents can stop by for local farmstands and interesting vendors selling everything from spices to bread. Soulard holds the title as the oldest farmers market west of the Mississippi.

 

Montana

Montana: Moonlight Lodge/Big Sky Farmers Market

Address: Moonlight Lodge- 66 Mountain Loop Rd., Big Sky

Foursquare rating: 8.8

Montana is known as a natural wonderland, and Big Sky is one of the top destinations in the state. Head to the Big Sky Farmers Market and discover nearly 100 vendors on Wednesday evenings in Fire Pit Park.

 

Nebraska

Nebraska: Haymarket Farmers Market

Address: N. Canopy and Q St. Haymarket, Lincoln

Foursquare rating: 8.7

When spring temperatures begin melting the snow, Nebraska becomes a major player in American agriculture, as evidenced by the 100 farmers markets available to residents. The best among them is the Haymarket Farmers Market in Lincoln, which sees close to 200 Nebraskan vendors in the summertime and is famous for its affordable prices. There’s live music every week, as well. 

 

Nevada

Nevada: Sprouts Farmers Market

Address: 10000 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 180 (at S. Hualapai Way), Las Vegas

Foursquare rating: 9.3

Sprouts is as much a farmers market as Chuck E. Cheese is a cheddar emporium; but that said, the chain of supermarkets provides exceptional produce at even better prices. Since Nevada is rife with desert land, shoppers skip the traditional farmers’ market and buy produce from Sprouts.

 

New Hampshire

New Hampshire: Moulton Farm

Address: 18 Quarry Rd., Moulton Farm, Meredith

Foursquare rating: 8.8

Since 1890, Moulton Farm has been providing locally grown produce to the good people of New Hampshire. Stop by for their corn maze, fresh pies and vegetables grown right there. 

 

New Jersey

New Jersey: Montclair Farmers Market

Address: Walnut St., Montclair

Foursquare rating: 9.2

The Montclair Farmers Market is one of the largest and oldest farmers markets in New Jersey. Garden State residents can choose from a garden’s worth of vegetables here in all four seasons. Opened in 1993, the market takes advantage of the 9,100 farmers in New Jersey to provide organic vegetables, grass-fed meats and even locally made wine from Ventimiglia Vineyard.

 

New Mexico

New Mexico: Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market

Address: 138 S. Downtown Mall, Las Cruces

Foursquare rating: 9.2

The Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market is one of the oldest farmers markets in the country, with a history that stretches back to 1971. Named the number-one market in all of America in 2011, the market now occupies seven blocks of Main Street in Downtown Las Cruces.

 

New York

New York: Union Square Greenmarket

Address: 1 Union Sq. W. (between 15th and 17th St.), New York

Foursquare rating: 9.6

The Union Square Greenmarket is the flagship of New York’s Greenmarket program. For the majority of the week—Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays—140 local farmers, ranchers, fishermen and bakers dispense their wares directly to the public alongside chef demonstrations, cookbook signings and more exciting activities. The market even has an app that tells shoppers which products will be available each week for those who like to plan ahead. It’s a good rule of thumb to shop where the chefs go, and this is definitely that place in New York City.

 

North Carolina

North Carolina: Piedmont Triad Farmers Market

Address: 2914 Sandy Ridge Rd., Colfax, NC

Foursquare rating: 9.5

This North Carolina market is state-run, intended to provide a direct line between North Carolina farmers and people who love North Carolina produce. As their website states, “The goal of the farmers markets is to furnish facilities where our farmers can provide fresh, locally grown produce and plants to NC consumers with reduced handling costs.” That means produce hounds can grab any of the 21 agricultural commodities cultivated in the state for a reasonable price Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

North Dakota

North Dakota: Town Square Farmers Market

Address: 3rd St. and Demers, Grand Forks

Foursquare rating: Not Available

Grand Forks residents celebrate the third Saturday of June with the opening of the Town Square Farmers Market. The market operates every Saturday until the end of September bringing fresh food to the people of North Dakota. To that end, the market runs the Fork’s Well Fed program, which gives low-income families access to fresh fruits and vegetables via an nutrition education series that translates into credits at the farmers market.

 

Ohio

Ohio: Findlay Market

Address: 1801 Race St. (at Elder St.), Cincinnati, OH

Foursquare rating: 9.5

Bright and colorful, Findlay Market is Ohio’s oldest municipal market house and has continuously operated in the same building since 1855. The space currently holds outdoor stalls for farmers, artisanal food vendors and even a biergarten, making this market a full-on foodie destination.

 

Oklahoma

Oklahoma: OSU-OKC Farmers Market

Address: 400 N. Portland Ave., Horticulture Pavilion (OSU-OKC), Oklahoma City

Foursquare rating: 8.5

Directly on the campus of Oklahoma State University, this market is open every Saturday of the year. It features an outdoor market during the summer outside the Horticulture Pavilion, and inside in the wintertime. The market participates in the Oklahoma Grown initiative to support Oklahoma farmers, and makes it a priority to include organic selections as well.

 

Oregon

Oregon: Portland Farmers Market at PSU

Address: 1875 SW Park Ave. (on South Park Blocks), Portland

Foursquare rating: 9.5

Set on the college campus of Portland State University, this 20-year-old, 140-vendor market is open every Saturday of the year, with the exception of late December. The “Chef in the Market” booth brings in big-name chefs to show off their skills each week during the warmer months, and specialty berries are sold in the summertime. Make no mistake, the Portland Farmers Market at PSU is a big deal to Portlanders.

 

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania: Ardmore Farmers Market

Address: 119 Coulter Ave., Ardmore

Foursquare rating: 8.8

Set in Ardmore’s Suburban Square mall, this Lancaster County market is open every day of the week with expansive hours to allow maximum time for residents to acquire their fresh food. Fresh peppers, exotic rambutan and gourmet cheeses are just a few of the items on display at the Ardmore Farmers Market.

 

Rhode Island

Rhode Island: Hope St./Lippitt Park Farmers Market

Address: 1059 Hope St (Lippett Park), Providence

Foursquare rating: 8.3

Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the nation, but May through October, the Hope Street Farmers Market offers big value when it comes to the bounty of local farmers. The market is actually a farmer-owned cooperative, meaning the farms themselves are running the show here. Every Saturday and Wednesday, Rhode Islanders can pick up their produce, enjoy live entertainment and even get their knives sharpened for a small fee.

 

South Carolina

South Carolina: Charleston Farmers Market

Address: Marion Square Park (Calhoun & King St), Charleston, SC

Foursquare rating: 9.2

The Charleston Farmers Market provides the best of South Carolina on Saturdays from mid-April through Thanksgiving. Over the summer, don’t miss the incredible peaches the state is known for alongside over 100 vendors in gorgeous Marion Square, a nearly seven-acre green space that dates back to the Colonial era.

 

South Dakota

South Dakota: Falls Park Farmers Market

Address: E. Falls Park Dr. and N. 2nd Ave., Sioux Falls

Foursquare rating: 8.5

Leeks, mustard greens, parsnips and peas can all appear in season at the Falls Park Farmers Market. The market is so organized that they even offer a handy guide to tell you which items are available, depending on the month. The market turned 100 in 2012, making this one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in American history.

 

Tennessee

Tennessee: Nashville Farmers Market

Address: 900 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville

Foursquare rating: 8.9

It’s big city, big market at the Nashville Farmers Market, where outdoor farm sheds provide cover for more than 150 farmers, 362 days a year. Every third Friday of the month serves as a Night Market with live music, handmade goods, seasonal produce and food trucks. Hungry visitors can hit the Market House, where 20 restaurant vendors fill bellies with cuisine from all over the world.

 

Texas

Texas: Dallas Farmers Market

Address: 920 S. Harwood Rd. (at Taylor St.), Dallas

Foursquare rating: 9.0

The giant Dallas Farmers Market brings people in every day of the week, but the produce-inclined know to hit The Shed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for the best goods that Texan farmers, ranchers and artisans have to offer. The market is about more than selling veggies: It’s also home to a community garden where people can learn to grow their own food.

 

Utah

Utah: Petersen Family Farms

Address: 11887 S. 4000 W., Riverton

Foursquare rating: 8.7

Skip the market and head straight to Petersen Family Farms, where produce is on sale every day of the week except Sunday. Petersen grows dozens of different crops from corn to watermelon, with 20 different varieties of tomatoes. For those who want an in-depth view of farm life, the farm also offers a three-hour experience available on Airbnb.

 

Vermont

Vermont: Burlington Farmers Market

Address: City Hall Park (between Main St. and College St.), Burlington

Foursquare rating: 9.3

Every Saturday since 1980, Burlington's fruit and vegetable enthusiasts have descended upon City Hall Park for the Burlington Farmers’ Market, a weekly chance to peruse the produce of nearby farmers. All summer long, more than 90 stands offer garden bounties and all manner of delicious prepared foods. In the winter, the market is held at the University of Vermont’s Davis Center, away from the harsh conditions of Vermont’s coldest season.

 

Virginia

Virginia: Virginia Beach Farmers Market

Address: 3640 Dam Neck Rd. (Princess Anne Rd.), Virginia Beach

Foursquare rating: 9.4

The Virginia Beach Farmers Market is a permanent installation in this town, with seasonal vegetables and fruits, a butcher shop, dairy, florist and more. The market even offers a full range of educational programs to inform the next generation of farmers market shoppers.

 

Washington

Washington: Pike Place Market

Address: 85 Pike St (at Pine St), Seattle

Foursquare rating: 9.5

When Seattle is mentioned on a food TV show, there’s a higher-than-average chance that they’re using footage from the famous Pike Place Market, a marketplace and dining destination that catches everyone’s attention. The main attraction: fishmongers throwing whole fish to each other across incredible distances. As an added bonus, the market offers their very own Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box filled with the best of what the farmers of Pike Place have to offer each week.

 

West Virginia

West Virginia: Capitol Market

Address: 800 Smith St, Charleston

Foursquare rating: 9.4

Open every day of the year except major holidays, the Capitol Market resides in an old train station with indoor and outdoor space that includes restaurants, farmer stalls and regular cooking classes. This is a true attraction, and offers much more than a standard farmers market.

 

Wisconsin

Wisconsin: Dane County Farmers' Market

Address: Capitol Square (at Mifflin, Main, Carroll, Pinckney), Madison

Foursquare rating: 9.3

The largest producer-only farmers market in the nation occurs in Madison, Wisconsin at the Dane County Farmers Market. All of the produce is grown in Wisconsin by the 275 vendors that sell at the market throughout the year.

 

Wyoming

Wyoming: Big Hollow Food Coop

Address: 119 S 1st St (E University Ave), Laramie

Foursquare rating: 7.3

This market is part-grocery store, part-community center. As a co-op, Big Hollow Food lets its members vote on the products they want to see there as well as the members they wish to represent the group. People come for the local and specialty food, and stay for the close community atmosphere.

 

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