The 17 Best Farmers' Markets In The South

Photo:
Courtesy of The Market at Pepper Place

There's nothing like preparing a meal using the bounty of the season. Whether it's a blueberry cobbler jam packed with fruit from a local orchard or an heirloom tomato salad that spotlights the season's best and brightest, farmers' markets are a Southerner's best friend when they're looking to prepare an extra-special produce recipe. But fruits and veggies are far from the only reason we love a farmers' market. At any one of these favorite markets, you'll find all kinds of locally made treasures. Pickles, jams, and baked goods are just the tip of the edible iceberg. Specialty cuts of farm-raised meat, eggs, and cheese can easily be your next meal. Then there are also the artists and artisans to consider, who share their talents by selling everything from jewelry and ceramics to prints and apparel. Keep reading for a small taste of our favorite farmers' markets in the South.

Pinellas Farmers & Flea Market

Clearwater, Florida

Think about Clearwater, Florida, and sugary sands with beachgoers might come to mind. But every weekend in the parking lot of the Icot Business Center about 10 miles from the Gulf, more than 150 vendors—mostly from the Asian diaspora—fill their tents and tables with bok choy, bitter gourd, sugarcane stalks, mangoes, and Sweetheart lychee. One of the Tampa Bay area’s newer markets, it began in 2021 as a way to support growers from places like Thailand, India, the Philippines, Laos, China, and Cambodia. In addition to offering fresh fruits and vegetables, vendors fry bananas, or scoop up servings of papaya salad, dish out Vietnamese noodle soups, and crack coconuts for refreshing drinks. Cars start to file in early—it runs from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

pinellasmarket.com; 13600A Icot Blvd., Clearwater FL 33760; 727-644-2899

Richland Park Farmer’s Market

Nashville, Tennessee

Music City has experienced record growth over the past decade, with restaurants opening and closing in a whirl. But a steady presence for vendors, the food community, and neighbors remains rooted in West Nashville. Richland Park Farmer’s Market formed in 2010 and quickly earned a reputation for showcasing the best local products. Longtime sellers Delvin Farms (Hank Delvin founded the market) and Bells Bend Farms—just two operations out of more than 90—have an array of organically grown produce. Wedge Oak Farm, a woman-owned business with a family history dating back more than 100 years, brings poultry, pork, and eggs. Fresh breads, mushrooms, cheeses, pickles, pantry staples, pastries, and more make this park (next to a library and picnic spaces) the finest one-stop shop in town every Saturday, rain or shine. The market also does good in the city, raising money to purchase produce for the Nashville Community Fridge, which provides free food for anyone who needs it.

richlandparkfarmersmarket.com; 4711 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, TN 37209

Lafayette Farmers & Artisans Market

Lafayette, Louisiana

Shoppers can browse under majestic oaks at 100-acre Moncus Park in the heart of Cajun Country. Vendors here also are skilled at showcasing regional flavors and a strong sense of place. Take the dried mix of onion, pepper, and celery used as a base for a myriad of Cajun dishes from C’est Tout; the 14-hour Bolognese from Delizioseaux; or savory hand pies from Acadian Slice Pies. (One of them, called Crawshank Redemption, is a pastry stuffed with crawfish, corn, and peppers.) As for the agriculture of this region, look for Louisiana strawberries during spring from the third-generation growers of Faust Farms, local honey from Santa Rita Honey Bee Farm, or Homemade Creole Fig Mustard from Grinning Jupiter Jammery. Then pick up a bite for lunch from merchants who also represent the city’s cultural diversity. Priya’s J&J Indian Foods serves up chicken tikka masala, and Soso’s Brazilian Treats cooks a family recipe for cheese breads (pão de queijo) and brigadeiros, the traditional dessert made with sweetened condensed milk and chocolate. There is ample parking on site, or you can get a free ride on an ADA-approved shuttle from Blackham Coliseum.

marketatmoncuspark.com; 2913 Johnston Street Lafayette, LA 70503; 337-944-4167

Bethesda Central Farm Market

Bethesda, Maryland

This popular spot in Bethesda is in a coalition with two other D.C.-area markets, and is the largest of the group with more than 100 vendors and artisan producers. Start with Hog Haven Farm’s breakfast sandwich, heritage pork sausage, and egg on English muffin. Then browse for cherries, strawberries, or apples from Toigo Orchards, eggs and butter from Springfield Farm, and Chincoteague Bay oysters or clams from Toby Island Bay Oyster Farm. It is open year-round with live music, brewery and winery tastings, regular chef demos, and activities for kids. One local favorite is a pie contest where a $5 donation to hunger relief organization Manna Food Center grants a taste of the flaky contenders.

centralfarmmarkets.com/bethesda; 7600 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD 20814

Mississippi Farmers Market

Jackson, Mississippi

This market in the heart of Jackson is hosted by The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Vendors bring their wares to the 18,000-square-foot building, open year-round on Saturdays. Keep an eye out for events like the Great Mississippi Peanut Boil. Or visit any Saturday, pick up a drink from Northshore Speciality Coffee, and peruse stalls of shrimp from the Gulf, or visit the tables of artisan breads from Sunflower Oven, a bakery that began as a pop-up in a local bar. Homestead Farms brings produce, eggs, and honey while T&R Dairy covers the gamut of cheeses such as fresh ricotta and yogurts as well as whole and chocolate milks. Foot Print Farm preserves fresh produce in the form of salsas, pickles, and jam. Inez’s Heavenly Treats has your take-home tamales. Beyond the vendors, look for Deaf Mama’s Soap and candles and art by Charles E. Smith.

mdac.ms.gov/bureaus-departments/farmers-market; 929 High Street,
Jackson, MS 39202; 601-354-6573

Old Town Farmers’ Market

Alexandria, Virginia

As the legend goes, George Washington’s Mount Vernon produce was sold here, the oldest continuously operated market in the country still held in the same location. Indeed, vendors have gathered in front of Alexandria’s City Hall (in Market Square) since the astonishingly early date of 1753. These days, it is thriving, bringing together about 75 vendors with community members and visitors every Saturday, year-round. Many farming families also have deep connections to the area such as Bigg Riggs Farm in nearby Augusta, West Virginia, where they grow cherries, beets, broccoli, and more. (They also jar products such as apple butter and ramp barbecue sauce.) Browse the rows of squash blossoms, baskets of apple varieties, tables piled with sourdough loaves, and flower stands at Blue Ridge Botanicals. Monthly yoga classes, cooking demos, and pumpkin carving for kids make the shopping experience a community event. The Bike for Good program recruits cyclists to deliver fresh food to places where people are in need.

alexandriava.gov/OldTownFarmersMarket; 301 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Columbia Farmers Market

Columbia, Missouri

The best markets offer a connection point and opportunity for relationships between locals and vendors. But they also serve as joyous community gathering spaces to nourish and learn. Here, area musicians play acoustic sets and cooking demos perfume the sheds, while more than 80 farmers and artisans gather from within just a 50-mile radius. It began 44 years ago, and now takes place at the Columbia Agricultural Park, a center for agricultural education and commerce. Open-air sheds with electricity and drop down vinyl walls allow for a comfortable year-round experience. A three-acre production garden onsite grows produce for local food pantries. A Good Food Detectives club for kids encourages activities that engage the senses and encourage conversations with farmers to earn “Munch Money.” Vendors run the gamut from fourth generation Strope Farms (produce, flowers, eggs) to Sawdust Studios’ handcrafted wooden bowls.

columbiafarmersmarket.org; 1769 W Ash Street, Columbia, MO 65203; 573-823-6889

Rehoboth Beach Farmers’ Market

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

On Tuesdays from May through October, under the shade of Grove Park trees near the Atlantic Ocean, about 40 vendors bring their goods to sell here. Vendors are required to come from within a 100 mile radius and include a range of craftspeople and growers with everything from fresh-cut flowers to pasture-raised meats. Fifer’s Farm has been part of Delaware agriculture for more than a century growing asparagus, tomatoes, sweet corn and fruits like strawberries, blueberries, apples, and peaches. The Federal Brewing Company, founded by a stroke survivor and Certified Holistic Health Coach and Herbalist, serves kombucha for sipping while shopping or to enjoy at home. Meanwhile, Mandala Pies displays gorgeous creations including a savory Farmhouse Quiche — a wheat pastry loaded with eggs and vegetables—as well as an Old Farmer’s Almanac Pie with apples and a double cinnamon roll crust.

rbfarmersmarket.com; 501 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971; 302-249-7878

South Carolina State Farmers Market

West Columbia, South Carolina

South Carolina produces more turnip greens than any other state in the country and is the number two grower of collards, mustard greens, kale, and peaches. A good place to experience this bounty? The South Carolina State Farmers Market in West Columbia. The sprawling covered pavilion, which is open seven days a week, also houses the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and other entities. Be on the lookout for growers such as Muñoz Farm for greens, okra, tomatoes, peppers, and watermelons. Seafood Express sells blue crabs and shrimp in season. Apples, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins herald fall, while the holidays bring special arts and crafts events as well as bags of pecans and sought-after greens sweetened by the colder temps.

facebook.com/SCFarmersMarket; 3483 Charleston Hwy., West Columbia, SC 29172; 803-737-4664

Lexington Farmers Market

Lexington, Kentucky

In the 1970s, a nonprofit cooperative of Kentucky farmers formed to create and run this market, which continues to operate independently, connecting more than 50 area growers and vendors with the people of Lexington. Browse the main event on Saturdays, year-round at Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park downtown near the historic Old Fayette County Court House to look for native produce like pawpaws, meat from Bourbon County Bison, kimchi and kraut from Counterculture Ferments, or “perfectly imperfect bread” from Wild Lab Bakery. If you can’t make it on Saturday, there are additional stands and pop-up locations in the city, including a Sunday option, along with robust programming. The Power of Produce Club provides games and demonstrations to introduce kids to fruits and vegetables. A Homegrown Authors series works with local writers, and the FreshRx for MOMs program focuses on the needs of expectant mothers.

lexingtonfarmersmarket.com; 251 W Main St, Lexington, KY 40507

The Market at Pepper Place

Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham has a knack for repurposing its industrial spaces into beautiful community hubs that nod to the past. These days, The Market at Pepper Place, once the site of an old Dr Pepper plant, lifts up a different sort of labor: agriculture, art, and small-batch food production. Aromas of hand-rolled tamales and boiled peanuts drift through the outdoor space where people sell flowers, jewelry, soaps, kombucha, and breads like the fragrant baguettes and loaves of sourdough from Hinkel’s Bakery. Tables are piled with produce, too, of course—feathery lion’s mane from Magic City Mushrooms, watermelons and tomatoes at their summer peak from Postell Farm, and baskets of stone fruits from Knight’s Farm (established in 1937) in Alabama’s peach capital of Clanton. Bring your kitchen tools to Birmingham Knife Sharpening, load up on provisions, and take home treats from Blind Dog Biscuit for four-legged family members.

pepperplacemarket.com; 2829 2nd Ave S Birmingham, AL 35233; 205-490-3176

Uptown Farmers Market

Charlotte, North Carolina

This relatively new organization was formed as a nonprofit in 2020 to address food access and community connection. Located in Charlotte Center City near the NASCAR Hall of Fame, it draws a broad swath of customers. They gather to shop from area growers and makers and take part in wellness initiatives such as on-site health evaluations and nutrition education. Keep an eye out for family-run operations like Deep Roots CPS Farm, which has local honey as well as fruits and vegetables raised with regenerative practices. Evans Family Farm focuses on pasture-raised and grass-fed meats. For take-home sweets, don’t miss Milk Glass Pie, serving up a hyper seasonal menu of desserts.

uptownfarmersmarket.com; 300 S. Davidson St., Charlotte, NC 28202

Tulsa Farmers’ Market

Tulsa, Oklahoma

It started in 1998 with just a handful of vendors in the parking lot of a Jason’s Deli. These days, the market draws more than 110 farmers and makers all selling wares grown or produced within the state that express their own traditions and creativity. Oklahmong is led by a woman who learned growing techniques in her native Laos, and her vegetables offer a connection to Hmong culture. Bad Dog Farm has been in business for more than 12 years bringing tomatoes, peppers, and more from a 1-acre, woman-owned operation within the Tulsa city limits. You’ll find a variety of crafts and body-care products including items from Prairie Thyme Farm, a woman- and veteran-owned business with over 150 goats that produce milk used to make cheeses and soaps. The market also hosts dozens of nonprofit partners each year, including the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma’s Farm-to-Table program.

tulsafarmersmarket.org; 1 S Lewis Ave., Tulsa, OK 74104; 918-636-8419

Athens Farmers Market

Athens, Georgia

A farmers’ market at a brewery? Yes, please. The large indoor-outdoor community space of Creature Comforts Brewing Co.—housed in an old downtown tire shop—is one of two locations for the Athens Farmers Market. Find it there on Wednesday evenings from March to November. The second and larger of the weekly gatherings takes place at Bishop Park on Saturday mornings year-round. Depending on the season, tables will be piled with bundles of radishes, heads of cabbage, or baskets of peppers—all organic and grown within a 25-county region. Fuel up on breakfast sandwiches, and then browse the produce and prepared foods such as tubs of tabbouleh or fresh-made raviolis stuffed with squash and leeks. Also on tap: activities for kids, live music, and exercise classes to get bodies moving.

athensfarmersmarket.net; 705 Sunset Drive, Athens, GA 30606 (Saturdays) and 271 W Hancock Ave, Athens, GA 30601 (Wednesdays)

Houston Farmers Market

Houston, Texas

Space City has a vibrant and vast food scene with markets to match. But this one, established in 1942, is the oldest and largest. It may be historic but has been modernized over the years, including a $10 million renovation in 2022, which added a structure between the breezy concrete sheds at the 18-acre space. It houses businesses such as R-C Ranch Butcher Shop for Wagyu beef, Henderson & Kane General Store for packaged goods, and Crawfish & Noodles for Vietnamese and Cajun cuisine. Growers remain at the heart of the operation, though, with their tables chock-full of chiles, mangoes, tomatoes, watermelons, limes, and nopales. Many of the vendors have been here for decades, such as North Side Banana Co. (tropical fruits, turnips, and cauliflower), Martinez Produce (dried beans, seeds, and greens), and Rivera’s Best Produce (watermelons, pineapples, and papayas). The market is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m, but merchant hours may vary.

thehoustonfarmersmarket.com; 2520 Airline Dr, Houston, TX 77009; 713-862-8866

Morgantown Farmers Market

Morgantown, West Virginia

Farmers and shoppers gather here weekly from May through mid-November at Morgantown Market Place, a multipurpose pavilion, and indoors at the Mylan Park complex during the winter on select weekends. Musicians provide tunes, and cooking demos show off produce as folks browse the bounty from vendors like Mon Valley Mushrooms or Castleman Creamery. DeBerry Farm grows about 50 types of vegetables as well as berries and melons (and also makes a great jarred Bloody Mary mix). For take-home (or devour-on-the-spot) snacks, This and That Bakery and Patty’s Pastries bring cinnamon rolls, cookies, and hand pies.

morgantownfarmersmarket.org; 400 Spruce St, Morgantown, WV 26505; 304-291-7201

Fayetteville Farmers Market

Fayetteville, Arkansas

Open since 1973, this market brings nearly 100 vendors to Fayetteville’s downtown square. Shoppers come on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for flowers, elderberries, peaches, and jams while cooking demos and musicians provide entertainment. Vegetables fill stands along with specialties like jarred salsa from Roberts Family Farm and cinnamon rolls made by Ozark Natural Breads. It is open year-round with sellers moving inside during winter months. And you can even order and pay for items online.

fayettevillefarmersmarket.org; 21 W Mountain St, Fayetteville, AR 72701; 479-236-2910

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