Got a hankering for farm-fresh fruits and vegetables but aren’t quite sure where to find them? Relax! The Metro Detroit area has lots of Farmers Markets for you to come and explore, and you can go on practically any day of the week. Here are some of the best in the tri-county area.
Farmers’ Markets in Wayne County:
The Detroit Eastern Market, of course, is the grand-daddy of them all. In fact, it’s the largest and oldest of its kind in the country. The market has been open at this location since 1891, and it’s estimated that over 70,000 tons of food are sold there annually. The market is open six days a week (it’s closed on Sunday), but unless you’re a restaurant or wholesaler, you’ll want to go on Saturday. The market covers 43 acres, has 80 structures, and a typical Saturday will see 45,000 visitors. Sound overwhelming? Don’t worry – there’s a Welcome Center that’s open every Saturday from 7 am to 4 pm. They’ll give you a map of the area, a guide to the market-area restaurants, and answer any questions you may have.
What will you find at the Eastern Market? Well, fruits and vegetables, of course. But you’ll also find meats, fish, poultry, nuts, dairy, wines, candles, spices, ethnic foods, and flowers and plants. There are also cooking demos by area chefs (Saturday from 10 am to noon), buskers, such as singers, musicians, actors, mimes, jugglers, magicians, and puppeteers (Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm, at six different locations), walking tours by Preservation Wayne ($10, every Saturday), bicycle tours by Wheelhouse Detroit, and an Artisan Village. There are also at least 15 restaurants in the area – including such diverse tastes as A Taste of Ethiopia, Bert’s Market Place Jazz, Louisiana Creole Gumbo, Salsa Thai, and, of course, McDonalds. The Eastern Market is located at 2934 Russell Street, about one mile northeast of the downtown area.
A newer venue is the Wayne State Farmers Market on Cass Avenue, north of Warren (just about directly behind the main branch of the Detroit Public Library). This one is only in its second year, and is open from 11 am to 4 pm every Wednesday. It features produce from the Grown in Detroit Cooperative, Vandalia Gardens, Earthworks Urban Farm, D-Town Farm, and other area farmers.
The Belleville Farmers Market is located in Victory Park at East Huron River Drive and Liberty Street. It is open Saturdays from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. It features fruits and vegetables, plants, baked goods, and crafts.
The Canton Farmers Market is located at Bartlett-Traverse House, 500 N. Ridge Road, Canton. It’s open from 10 am to 2 pm Sundays. It has fruits and vegetables, plants, herbs, honey, and meats. They also offer kids’ crafts, and sometimes there is live entertainment.
The West Dearborn Farmers and Artisan Market is at the Bryant Library, 22100 Michigan, in downtown West Dearborn. They’re open from 8 am to 1 pm on Fridays. They have about 27 vendors, music, kids’ activities, and cooking demos by the Henry Ford community College Culinary Arts Program.
The Fort-Visger Community Development Corporation Farmers Market is on Southfield Road between Fort Park and Lafayette, in Lincoln Park (across from the City Hall) and is open from 11 am to 4 pm Sundays. Expect produce, flowers, baked goods, and specialty foods.
The Livonia Farmers Market is held in Wilson Barn, at the corner of Middlebelt and West Chicago, from 8 am to 3 pm Saturday. They have fruits and vegetables, herbs, plants, honey, bread, and handcrafted items.
The Northville Farmers Market is located in downtown Northville at the corner of 7 Mile Road and Center. It’s open from 8 am to 3 pm Thursdays. They have over 100 open-air stalls, selling fruits and vegetables, flowers, plants, baked goods, syrup, honey, and handmade items. There is also a cooking demonstration by an area chef on the third Thursday of each month.
The Northwest Detroit Farmers Market is held at the Bushnell Congregational Church, 1500 Southfield Road, from 4pm to 8 pm Thursday. This is their fourth year of operation.
The Plymouth Farmers Market is held in The Gathering, a roofed area in downtown Plymouth, on Saturday from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm. They offer produce, flowers and plants, bakery items, and garden crafts.
The City of Wayne Farmers Market is located at 35310 W. Michigan, next to the State Wayne Theater. It’s held from 3 to 7 pm Wednesdays. In addition to produce, they offer products from Avalon Breads, cheeses from the Traffic Jam and Snug, and smoked meats and fish from the Captain John Smokehouse. Special events are occasionally held.
The West Park Farmers Market is starting its sixth year on Kercheval between Maryland and Beaconsfield, in Grosse Pointe Park. It’s held on Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm, and offers items from local merchants as well as area farmers. They have many special events such as a monthly dog costume competition (each month has a special theme), competitions for swimsuits, black tie, and Halloween costumes. August 15 is the annual beer tasting/corn roast. September 26 is the fall festival.
Farmers Markets in Oakland County:
The Birmingham Farmers Market is held on Old Woodward north of Harmon Street from 9 am to 2 pm Sunday. They have produce (some of it organic), and also offer breakfast, as well as a package pick-up area.
The Clarkston Farmers Market is located across from Depot Park in downtown Clarkston (just west of Main on Depot Road) from 8 am to noon on Saturdays. It is starting its fifth year. They are also collecting used bicycles, which will be donated to Bicycles for Humanity. (The goal is to collect 420 used bicycles for an agricultural village in Africa.)
The Oakland County Farmers Market is held at 2350 Pontiac Lake Road, just one light west of Telegraph. It’s open from 6:30 am to 2 pm Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. They have produce, some of it organic, and Master Gardeners available to answer questions. There is a flea market at the same location every Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm.
The Downtown Rochester Farmers Market is opening for its 10th year. They are located at Third and Water Street, in downtown Rochester. The hours are 8 am to 1 pm Saturdays. They also have musical entertainment, cooking demos by area restaurant chefs, and various gardening programs.
The Farmington Farmers and Artisans Market is held at the Walter E. Sundquist Pavilion at Grand River Avenue and Grove Street every Saturday from 9 to 2 pm. Besides produce, they offer live entertainment, and the “Cooking at the Market” series of demonstrations.
The Royal Oak Farmers Market is located in downtown Royal Oak, at 316 E. Eleven Mile Road, just two blocks east of Main Street. They are open Fridays and Saturdays from 7 am to 1 pm. In addition to local produce, they have antibiotic- and hormone-free beef and pork, cooking demos, and a Master Gardener available for questions. On Sundays from 8 am to 3 pm, a flea market is held at the same location.
The Southfield Farmers Market is located outside the Millennium Theater on J. L. Hudson Drive. They area open from 9 am to 3 pm, and have about 15 vendors, offering produce, breads, meats, frozen seafood, cheeses, jams and preserves, and handicrafts.
The Walled Lake Farmers Market is held at the Walled Lake Event Field, 1499 E. West Maple between Decker and Pontiac Trail. They are open from 7 am to 1 pm Wednesday, and have produce, crafts, and some prepared foods.
The Wixom Farmers Market is located at 49399 Pontiac Trail and Old Wixom Road, and is open from 3 pm to 7 pm every Thursday. This is the market’s first year. They have produce and handicrafts.
Farmers Markets in Macomb County:
The Mt. Clemens Farmers Market is held at 141 N. River Road at the Park-and-Ride lot just west of I-94. They are open from 7 am to 1 pm Friday and Saturday. This is this venue’s 30th year of operation. In addition to fresh, local produce, the market offers cooking demos and special events such as “Soup Day”, “Apple Day”, and the “Spudtacular Pork-a-thon”.
The Warren Farmers Market is located at One City Square, on Van Dyke north of 12 Mile Road. It’s open from 9 am to 2 pm, and beginning July 15 will also be open from noon to 7 pm on Wednesdays. This is the markets third year, and they have about 45 vendors. They offer produce, crafts, and cooking demos.
Isn’t it great to know we have such a fine selection of places to shop locally – and on practically every day of the week!
Sources:
www.farmersmarketonline.com
www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/farmersmarkets
www.detroiteasternmarket.com
www.grossepointepark.org
www.mountclemensfarmersmarket.com
