Food

Farmers Markets: A List of Opening Dates

The season for spending sunny afternoons perusing local produce has returned. Here’s the schedule for farmers markets all around Washington.

Seasonal farmers markets have begun to open all over Washington. Photograph courtesy of Flickr user PhilaSilva

With the weather warming and ramps replacing root vegetables on seasonal menus, our thoughts have turned to foraging for all the delicious produce at local farmers markets. Many are still on the brink of opening, so mark the dates in advance to plan a spring’s worth of market-fresh meals.

DC

By the White House FreshFarm Market
Thursday, 11 to 2:30
Opening: May 3
Market-goers have spotted Michele Obama browsing the stands for fruits and veggies. The stalls are now open for lunch, so look for fresh fruit as well as fish sandwiches from new vendor Fischscale.

Capital Harvest on the Plaza
Friday, 11 to 3
Opening: April 20
A good option for downtown dwellers looking to stock up for the weekend or grab soup and other premade items for lunch.

Columbia Heights Community Marketplace
Saturday, 9 to 2
Opening: May 12
A whole range of vendors, selling everything from French pastries to fresh sausage, set up shop at this Saturday market.

Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market
Sunday, 8:30 to 1
Open now
One of the largest farmers markets in Washington (and the one Alice Waters visits
when she’s in town), it boasts a wide variety of produce, meats,
seafood, breads, condiments, cheeses, and prepared foodstuffs. There’s
everything you need for a week’s worth of groceries, but it’s best to
get there early if you want to avoid crowds.

Eastern Market Farmers Line and Outdoor Food
Saturday, 7 to 6; Sunday, 9 to 5
Open now
In
addition to the many indoor food vendors at this historic market,
there’s an adjoining outdoor farmers market on weekends offering local
produce, pickles, baked goods, and more.

Foggy Bottom FreshFarm Market
Wednesday, 3 to 7
Open now
A
few steps from the Metro, this FreshFarm branch is convenient for
downtown workers looking to grab dinner ingredients, and college
students from the neighboring George Washington University campus–the
market now accepts GWorld cards.

14th & U Farmers’ Market
Saturday, 9 to 1
Opening: May 7
Sharpen those elbows: You may have to compete for top-tier produce with chefs from the neighborhood restaurants.

Georgetown Farmers Market in Rose Park
Wednesday, 3 to 7
Opening: May 2
This
small market boasts a decent variety of vendors, who hawk everything
from fresh seafood and meats to produce, baked goods, and paella.

Glover Park-Burleith Farmers Market
Saturday, 9 to 1
Opening: May 12
In
addition to produce and prepared foodstuffs, you’ll often find a food
truck serving lunch, plus live music, kids’ activities, and a free bike
clinic.

H Street, Northeast FreshFarm Market
Saturday, 9 to noon
Opening: April 21
The
market is currently being relocated due to construction, but look for
goods such as Dolcezza Gelato and meats from Red Apron, in addition to a
barbecue lunch from Carnivore BBQ.

Mount Pleasant Farmers Market
Saturday, 9 to 1
Opening: May 5
The
market is popular for fresh bread, local produce, herbs, meats, and
sweet treats from Pleasant Pops. There’s also a free bike clinic.

Palisades Farmers Market
Sundays 9 to 1
Open now
Eggs
and produce are just the start at this market, where you’ll also find
Turkish delicacies, wild-caught frozen salmon, olive oils, and biscotti.

Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market
Thursday, 3 to 7
Open now
A
number of new products are available at this popular market, including
local pickles from Gordy’s Pickle Jar, vegan soups and salads from
Soupergirl, and wood-fired pizza from the Red Zebra.

Petworth Community Market
Friday, 4 to 8
Opening: May 4
Late
risers who miss the early morning markets can get their fill of fresh
produce during the evening hours, plus live music from local bands on
the last Friday of every month.

USDA Farmers Market
Friday, 10 to 2
Opening: June 3
While
hopping among museums and monuments on the Mall, you can stop here for
fresh produce, Hawaiian shaved ice, kettle corn, and more.

MARYLAND

Annapolis FreshFarm Market
Sunday, 8:30 to noon
Opening: May 6
At this market, on the Harbor in Downtown Annapolis, you can forage for a bayside picnic or a locally sourced dinner.

Anne Arundel County Farmers’ Market
Tuesday and Saturday, 7 to noon
Open now on Saturday; June 7 on Tuesday
This large market is celebrating its 30th year of operation.

Bethesda FreshFarm Market
Saturday, 9 to 1
Opening: May 5
Live music and cooking demos accompany the crowds shopping for bread, meats, produce, and pastries.

Broad Branch Farmers Market
Saturday, 9 to 1
Open now
You’ll find coffee, organic mushrooms and flowers, and grass-finished meats at this market in the Lafayette School parking lot.

Bethesda Central Farm Market
Sunday, 9 to 12:30
Open now
A
sizable market with a variety of vendors who sell produce and meat
options in addition to prepared foods such as pastas and barbecue.

Crossroads Farmers Market (Takoma/Langley Park)
Wednesday, 2:30 to 6:30
Opening: May 18
All vendors at this open-air market grow and/or produce their goods within a 125-mile radius of Takoma Park.

Gaithersburg Farmers’ Markets
Main Street, Saturday, 10 to 2; Fulks Corner, Thursday, 2 to 6
Opening: Main Street on May 5; Fulks Corner on June 7
Two markets run by the City of Gaithersburg offer seasonal produce and local crafts.

Kensington Farmers Market
Saturday, 8 to noon
Open now
Pickles, pizza, and paella are just a few of the items you’ll find at this diverse market.

Montgomery Farm Women’s Cooperative Market
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 7 to 5
Open now
It’s
one of the oldest markets in the area, with both indoor and outdoor
sections where shoppers hunt for rugs, antiques, clothing, and more.

Olney Farmers Market
Sunday, 9 to 1
Opening: May 13
Another
more-than-just-food market, Olney attracts a large number of artists
and music vendors in addition to those selling produce, meats, and
prepared foods.

Potomac Farmers Market
Thursday, 2 to 6:30
Opening: May 3
Need
a sharp knife to cut your fresh veggies? This is one of the only
markets to feature a knife-sharpening vendor. You’ll also find vendors
selling olive oils, beauty products, and perishables.

Rockville Farmers Market
Wednesday, 11 to 2; Saturday, 9 to 1
Opening: May 12 on Saturday; June 6 on Wednesday
Participating
vendors sell baked goods, honey, fruits, vegetables, and meats. Be sure
to check out the Go Fish Truck, where you can grab a lobster roll for
lunch or fresh fish for dinner.

Silver Spring FreshFarm Market
Saturday, 10 to 1
Open now; spring/summer hours (9 to 1) begin April 7
Organic
vegetables, handcrafted baklava, and beeswax products are just a few of
the finds. There’s also free parking in an adjacent garage.

St. Michaels FreshFarm Market
Saturday, 8:30 to 11:30
Opening: April 21
Boaters
and other visitors mingle with locals at this market on the Harbor in
Downtown Annapolis, where they find everything they need for a bayside
picnic or a locally sourced dinner.

Takoma Park Farmers Market
Sunday, 10 to 2
Open now; summer vendors arrive April 15
Since
opening in 1983, this once-wee market has grown significantly. Expect
herbs, pastries, fresh meats, and produce from the nearly two dozen
farms who sell here.

VIRGINIA

Alexandria Farmers Market
Saturday, 5:30 to 11 AM
Open now
For a complete list of Alexandria markets, click here.
This
Old Town classic–in business since 1753–is believed to be the oldest
continuously operated outdoor market in the nation. In addition to
produce, meats, and cheeses, you’ll find a number of gift items such as
jewelry and soaps.

Arlington Farmers Market
Saturday, 9 to noon
Summer hours begin April 14, 8 to noon
Popular
vendors like Atwater Breads, Buster’s Seafood, EcoFriendly Foods, Toigo
Orchards, and many more frequent this larger market.

Ballston Farmers Market
Thursday, 3 to 7
Opening: May 26
There
are plenty of ready-to-eat goods at this market; vendors who’ve set up
shop here include Two Belles Southern Pound Cakes, Tommy V’s Salsa, and
Pleasant Pops.

City of Falls Church Farmers Market
Saturday, 8 to noon
Open now
In addition to a wide variety of vendors, chefs from local restaurants like Willow and 2941 visit the market for monthly demos.

Clarendon Farmers Market
Wednesday, 2 to 7
Open now
This market is easily accessible by Metro–a handy situation for nonresidents, since parking is often tricky on busy days.

Columbia Pike Farmers Market
Sunday, 9 to 1
Open now
In
addition to produce, meats, and prepared foods from a number of
vendors, a rotating lineup of local artisans offer their creations.

Community and Sundays Farmers’ Market (Fairfax)
Saturday, 8 to 1; Sundays, 10 to 2
Opening: May 5 and 6
A wide variety of vendors sell everything from fresh sausages to olive oils to pottery, antiques, and soaps.

Crystal City FreshFarm Market
Tuesday, 3 to 7
Opening: May 1
Look
for new producer Capitol Kettle Corn, which will join more than a dozen
vendors hawking everything from apples to bison at this open-air
market.

Fairfax County Farmers Markets
Days and times vary by location
Opening: the first week of May
McLean,
Reston, Annandale, and many
more
markets around
Fairfax open each spring with eggs, baked goods, produce, meats, and
flowers.

Smart Markets, Inc.
Days and times vary by location
A
series of markets in Oakton, Springfield, Centreville, and more
guarantee that all the items sold–baked goods, salsa, produce,
etc.–are grown and made by the vendors selling them.

Vienna Saturday Farmers’ Market
Saturday, 8 to noon
Opening: May 5
Produce, flowers, herbs, and prepared foods are among the draws at this market.

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.