Big believers in supporting everything that is local, we here at Lake & City Homes feel that it’s even more important when what you’re buying helps support our local farmers. You can do that by shopping at our fabulous farmers markets here in Madison.
Whether you’re looking for farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs or maple syrup or you’re craving homemade baked goods, fresh meats or cheeses you’ll find them, and a whole lot more, at the farmers markets.
Capitol View Farmers Market
A finalist in the Madison Magazine’s 2017 Best of Madison, Capital View Farmers' Market offers food carts, activities for the kids and live music to shop by. In fact, their website offers a list of the entire season’s events. You’ll find it here.
The market is held on Wednesdays from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. through October 11, at 5901 Sharpsburg Dr. on Madison's far east side.
Dane County Farmers Market
When there’s a line of folks waiting to buy spicy cheese bread, crowds hanging around the farmers who bring in certified organic (and local) beans, tomatoes and squash and the craft vendors, Dane County Farmers Market is most definitely the area’s most popular.
Get there early (before 9 a.m.) to avoid the larger crowds, bring cash and something to put your purchases in. If you come after 9, be prepared to shop with what feels like the entirety of Madison’s population ― it is that popular.
The Saturday on the Square Market is held from 6:15 a.m. and wraps up at 1:45 p.m. on the Capitol Square, downtown. The Wednesday Market is held in the 200 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd from 8:30 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. Find more information about the market online at dcfm.org.
Downtown Middleton Farmers Market
This is the seventh year for the farmers market in Downtown Middleton. Open from May 16 to October 3, it’s held every Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. until 6 p.m., rain or shine. You can shop for locally grown fruits and vegetables as wells as eggs, cheese, breads, mushrooms and, toward the end of the season, apples. Find the market in the parking lot of the Capital Brewery, 7734 Terrace Ave. in Middleton.
Eastside Farmers Market
We love this little market! Pick up certified organic red raspberries from Baer Gard Farm in Stoughton, amazing maple syrup from Patterson Sugar Bush, tropical ginger and turmeric from Blue Sky Farm, Bruno Botanicals’ medicinal plants and lots more. The market is open, rain or shine, on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. (a convenient stop-by after work), through October 31. You’ll find it in Central Park, 202 South Ingersoll St. Visit them on the web at eastsidefarmersmarket.org.
Elver Park
The new kid on the block, the Elver Park farmers market offers locally-grown farm products on Madison's west side. Stop by the Terra Growers (my family farm) booth and say hi! The market is held Saturdays, from 8 a.m. until noon at 1250 McKenna Blvd.
Greenway Station
We love the weekday farmers markets. They're less crowded and a convenient stop during lunch. The market at Greenway Station is held on Thursdays from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., rain or shine. Find locally grown produce and flowers plus baked goods, cheese, jam and more. Check out the market's events calendar online and follow it on Facebook.
Hilldale
Located in the shopping center’s parking lot, behind Macy’s, the Hilldale farmers market is a relatively undiscovered gem in Madison. If it’s flowers you’re seeking, this is your market. But you’ll also find farm products, baked goods, meats, cheeses and more. And, there’s music to shop by! The market is open Saturdays and Wednesdays from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. from April 30 to November 5 at the corner of Segoe Rd. and Heather Crest. Congrats, by the way, for Hilldale Farmers Market winning the coveted Madison Magazine’s 2017 Best Farmers Market!
Monroe Street Farmers Market
One of the city’s smaller markets (it’s still somewhat new), Monroe Street Farmers Market features local artisan cheesemakers, local butchers, bread makers and, of course, farmers. It’s open this season through October, on Sundays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Find it in the parking lot at Edgewood High School (2219 Monroe St.). Their website lists the highlights of the coming Sunday’s market. Check it out by clicking here.
Northside Farmers Market
If you can’t bear the thought of fighting the crowds at the Dane County Farmers Market, stop by the Northside market, where parking is a snap and they don’t mind if you bring your furry four-legged buddy. Unlike the big market, this one doesn’t tend to run out of eggs and they also offer a nice variety of meats, spices, cheese, bakery items and more. Find a list of the market’s vendors on its website. Open Sundays from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. you’ll find them at 2817 N. Sherman Ave., in the Northside TownCenter parking lot. Follow the sounds of the live music or look for the food carts.
Southside Farmers Market
You’ll find the Southside Farmers Market at several locations. On Sunday, head to 1602 S. Park St. (Madison Labor Temple) between 11a.m. and 3 p.m. and on Tuesdays from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, shop from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Novation Center, 2500 Rimrock Rd.
Friday’s market is held from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Villager Mall on S. Park St. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the Centro Hispano parking lot at 810 W. Badger Rd.
Get details about the Southside Farmers Market online, here.
Southwest Madison Farmers Market
Sort of the community gathering place in Southwest Madison, the Farmers Market offers organic produce, fresh-cut flowers, baked goods, meat and more. It’s held Wednesdays from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the United Church of Christ, 1501 Gilbert Rd.
Westside Community Market
Westside’s farmers market offers an impressively long list of vendors who bring in local honey, baked goods, botanicals and more. The market is held on Saturdays from 7 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and the location this year is new: behind UW Health Digestive Health Center at University Ave. & University Row.
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