The best farmers’ markets in Philadelphia

West Philadelphia’s hippie soul is on full display at this year-round market just off Baltimore Avenue. Vendors here change seasonally but never come from more than 100 miles away—and sometimes as close as a few blocks in the case of a couple of urban farms and breweries. Look out for mushrooms from Primordia, West Philly-grown produce from Urban Girl Farms and tacos courtesy of the Don Memo truck.

On Sunday mornings, this South Street-adjacent market welcomes 40-plus vendors and a steady flow of shoppers. Along with an excellent array of produce from favorites like Beechwood Organics, Headhouse is a great place to stock up for a party with wines from Paradocx, Ploughman cider and charcuterie made at by Nick Macri’s LaDivisa Meats, a Reading Terminal butcher shop.

Setting up shop around the perimeter of one of Philly’s most gorgeous public parks, this Rittenhouse Square bazaar is the place to go for fab, artisanal farmers’ market finds. Here shoppers can bring home Jersey-caught seafood, exotic succulents, fermented faves like kombucha and kimchi and stunning handmade chocolates.

Fresh lettuces and herbs are for sale year round here thanks to the innovative folks at Brogue Hydroponics. Philly Fair Trade Roasters makes sure that your French presses and pour overs are stocked with locally roasted beans and Dock Street Brewery brings its West Philly-brewed beers to vend on a weekly basis.

Going strong since 2006, this East Passyunk mainstay keeps it fresh with a rotating roster of craftsmen alongside produce pros. This season the market is welcoming Lost Bread, a Kensington-based bakery making loaves with locally grown and milled grains, and tamale specialist Taste of Puebla. On hot summer days, uniquely flavored water ices (think: rasberry basil or Shirley Temple-style) from D’Emilio’s Old World Ice Treat are there to cool off the crowd.

A handful of quality farmers and makers convene across the street from the towering walls of Eastern State Penitentiary once a week throughout the spring and summer. Amish baked goods and fresh eggs sell out quickly while Urbanstead brings in Francisville-grown fruits and veggies farmed by local kids. On occasion, lucky shoppers can find locally foraged pawpaws, a native fruit that tastes downright tropical.

Small but well-stocked, this weekday market in the middle of the Penn and Drexel campuses has everything students need to keep their diets and dorm rooms stocked with healthy locally grown grub. Beechwood organics trucks in crates of apples and seasonal stone fruits, Big Sky Bakery makes muffins and granola for breakfast and PetAl has petite potted plants to bring a little green into abode.

College campuses aren’t exactly brimming with options for buying fresh, local produce but the Food Trust is hoping to change that with its seasonal market on Temple University’s campus. Mt. Pleasant Organics brings in fruits and vegetables along with ready-to-eat snacks perfect for an all-night cram session, including breads, pastries and soups.

In keeping with this community’s smalltown vibes, this weekly farmers’ market has a uniquely family-friendly feel. Shoppers can sip cups of Green Street Coffee and nibble on Market Day caneles while browsing Berry Patch and Davidson Exotic produce. All season long, acoustic musicians provide a soothing soundtrack, and local artists host demos for kids and grownups, alike.

Tables pop up along Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill every Saturday, holding chests full of meats, poultry and dairy from Taproot and Rineer Farms, baskets of delicate morel and maitake mushroom and jars of honey from Randalia Hives. A rotating lineup of food trucks park here on a regular basis, but most weeks you can find over-the-top sweet and savory options from Foolish Waffles.

The health benefits of shopping local are huge, especially when picking up local okra, garlic and leafy chard from Mill Creek Farm, located just two blocks from this market in Haddington. To further promote well-being in the community, staff from nearby Lankenau Medical Center come onsite on select Wednesdays to provide free health screenings to market goers—checking for things like blood pressure and BMI.

It’s worth the trip out to the ’burbs to stock up on everything from Ridge Valley Farm maple syrup to Boardroom Spirits whiskey and brandy and rare bottles from Ambler’s cult brewery, Forest & Main. Pottstown charcuterie powerhouse Freeland Market shows up each week with an array of sausages, confites, pâtés and terrines.

The Main Line’s largest market has plenty of gorgeous seasonal veggies but there’s so much more than produce to be had here. Tooth of the Lion mixes up healing homeopathic tinctures and teas, Frecon Farms brings in sweet and hard cider and Firehouse sells freshly fried doughnuts. The hours are kind of tricky, so listen up: It’s open every Saturday from 9am to 1pm from May through December, and then every first, third and fifth Saturday from 10am to noon from January through April.

Philadelphians have a thing for South Jersey produce, and this big-hearted market under a bypass in nearby Collingswood is a great place to get your fix. In the height of summer, Eckert’s Corn sells the best cobs in town and Duker T’s Catering keeps those Jersey tomatoes fresh all year round by pickling and canning them. Four-legged friends flock to La Pooch Patisserie for handcrafted dog treats.

While you’ll see a lot of familiar vendors at most farmers’ markets around town, this South Jersey spot plays home to some unique vendors you may not find around these parts. Buck Wild Bison takes a whole-animal approach to butchery, making everything from jerky and sausage to pet treats. Muth Farms crafts beautiful bouquets of sustainably grown flowers, and Anita’s Guacamole spins a spread of delicious vegan dips.