Budget Travel Blog

Do you enjoy checking out farmers’ markets during your travels? This is one of my favorite things to do. Visiting the markets is free. It’s a great way to get outdoors, meet local people in the area that you are visiting and enjoy the weather. It’s also a great way to find out what the local foods are in an area. Usually we buy something for lunch while we are there or we purchase some grocery items to take back to our hotel and eat throughout our trip. The food is always great but it’s really more about the experience that we get to have.

If I were to plan a vacation based just on an area’s farmers’ market, I’d go to one of the following 10 places:

1. San Francisco Bay Area. There is an amazing farmers’ market at this city’s historic Ferry Building three times throughout the week plus multiple other farmers’ markets throughout the city and the surrounding area.
2. Portland. This is another place that is known specifically for great farmers’ markets. The one at the university is a favorite destination.
3. Chicago. This culinary city has some wonderful opportunities to visit award-winning farmers’ markets.
4. Madison. This Wisconsin town is home to the Dane County Farmer’s Market, the largest producer-only farmer’s market in the entire country.
5. Tucson. Surprisingly, this desert city has several great farmers’ markets. It’s a bit warm to go during the summer but late spring and early fall are terrific.
6. Salt Lake City. There aren’t too many attractions that I’m interested in here but the large farmers’ market which includes handmade crafts is a reason to plan a trip.
7. New York City. I don’t typically think of this as a farmers’ market kind of place but I’ve heard that the Union Square Greenmarket is where New York City chefs get fresh meat and produce so I kind of want to check it out one day.
8. Los Angeles Beach Towns. The towns along the beach here, such as Santa Monica and Venice Beach, have their own little farmers’ markets that provide a little slice of small town life in this bustling big area.
9. Seattle. I actually don’t know much about local farmers’ markets here but there’s always the established Pike Place Market to check out.
10. Small Midwest towns. It’s not as easy to find information about these markets but you often get to actually visit the farms that the food is from as well.

Is there a good farmers’ market in your area?

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