By Tammy Vinson
Across the United States outdoor markets offer fresh fish, meat and fruits and
vegetables. These markets can be a valuable source to prepare food for your
family the chiropractic way—naturally and free of toxins.
“I travel to Washington, D.C., throughout the year, and on each trip,
I set aside time to explore the Eastern Market,” says Dr. Cynthia Boyd,
assistant to the president at Life University. “I love visiting the artisan
booths and buying funky jewelry and accessories. And, it’s nice to be
surrounded by like-minded people. Everyone at the market is making healthy choices
and I like that vibe.”
Each market has its own specialties, but you’re likely to find large varieties
of cheese, wine, homemade pastas and bakery items. It’s a great way to
spice up your shopping and eat natural and organic foods. Here’s a list
of several outdoor markets from coast to coast.
Eastern Market, Washington, D.C.
Not only is Washington, D.C., home to our nation’s capital, but it’s
also home to the Eastern Market. The market has been continuously operating
since 1873. The open-air weekend Saturday and Sunday Farmer’s Line offers
fresh, local produce, fish and meat year-round. The only standing part of the
original Eastern Market is the South Hall. The South Hall hosts local merchants
selling items from Tuesday to Saturday. You can find everything from slabs of
meat to fresh flowers. The North Hall is the market’s art and community
center. Seasonal homemade pies, pre-peeled garlic and basil, fresh ravioli filled
with sweet potato and pecans, and homemade marinades and sauces are just some
of the market’s specialties. The Market Lunch is an old-fashioned restaurant
with signature items like buckwheat blueberry pancakes, North Carolina barbecue
and soft shell crabs.
225 7th Street, SE
Washington, D.C.
(202) 544-0083
easternmarketdc.com
Hours: South Hall, Tuesday – Saturday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m.
Arts & Crafts and Flea Markets, Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Farmer’s Line, Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
L.A. Farmers Market
Push around handmade green wooden shopping carts with the stars and pick up
some of California farmers’ best items. It all began in 1934 when 18 farmers
parked their trucks on vacant land at the Gilmore Ranch to sell their harvests.
That once vacant lot has evolved into the Los Angeles Farmers Market—a
one-stop shop with everything from cookware to gourmet cheeses. The market also
has high-quality restaurants, clothing stores, bookstores, a pharmacy, a spa
and salon and much more. End your shopping trip by picking up some wine and
cheese from the large selection, or handmade chocolate or fresh peanut butter
to take home.
6333 West Third Street
Los Angeles, Ca.
(323) 933-9211
farmersmarketla.com
Hours: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Union Square Greenmarket, New York City
In the heart of New York City lies Manhattan’s Union Square Greenmarket.
Founded in 1976 by Barry Benepe as a solution to the reduction of farms and
desirable food in the city, Greenmarkets are now spread throughout the city.
There are 54 markets in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island.
Twenty-three of these markets are open year-round. The Union Square Greenmarket
is the largest of the markets, covering a three block urban park. At Greenmarket
you can find sugar snap peas, hydroponic tomatoes and lettuce, fresh fish from
Long Island, local goat cheeses, fresh wild turkey and even vegetable-dyed wool.
There’s always a good deal to be found too. There’s large bunches
of beets and carrots for $1.50, heads of lettuce for $1 and corn is almost always
three for $1.
14th Street and Broadway
New York, N.Y.
(212) 788-7476
cenyc.org
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Atlanta State Farmers Market
The Southeast’s largest farmers market is located in the region’s
capital of Atlanta. The Atlanta State Farmers Market spreads over 150 acres
in Forest Park, just south of the market’s original downtown location.
The market is open year-round, seven days a week and 24 hours a day. The open
gate policy allows the individual businesses to operate by their preferred hours.
On an average day, 3,500 people will pass through the market to browse through
an array of internationally and locally grown food. After your shopping is complete,
you can check out the exhibit hall with a changing schedule of exhibits.
16 Forest Parkway
Forest Park, Ga.
(404) 675-1782
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Findlay Market, Cincinnati
Of Cincinnati’s nine public markets operating in the 1800’s and
1900’s, the Findlay Market is the only one that is still up and running.
Just blocks from downtown, in the Over-the-Rhine district, the market has featured
fresh cut meats and local butchers since 1852. Findlay Market is open year-round,
and in addition to an outdoor market, has an indoor market hosting 24 merchants
selling meats, produce, flowers, cheese and ethnic foods. Must-try items are
handmade sausages, goettas (Cincinnati’s regional dish composed primarily
of ground meat, oats and spices) and the Asian food at Saigon Market.
1801 Race Street at Elm Street
Cincinnati, Ohio
(513) 665-4839
findlaymarket.org
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Olympia Farmers Market
Olympia, Wash., is home to the Olympia Farmers Market. The market hosts two
large produce vendors, two meat markets and two bakeries. There are seven restaurants,
including Mexican, Asian, Italian and German cuisines. There are also curry,
seafood and coffee and bagel restaurants. At Olympia Farmers Market you can
find breads, jellies, jams, fresh shellfish, fresh farm eggs, smoked meats and
fresh and dried herbs. The Strawberry and Raspberry Festivals are in June, followed
by the Annual Bluegrass Pickers’ Festival in July. August is the market’s
peak season for lettuce, green beans, super sweet corn, melons, squash and onions.
Capitol Way toward the Waterfront
Olympia, Wash.
farmers-market.org
Hours: April – October, Thursday – Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
November – December, Saturday and Sunday only 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Austin Farmers Market
Every Saturday, deep in the heart of Texas, Republic Square Park hosts the Austin
Farmers Market. With live music every week, shopping outdoors can turn into
an all-day event. The market offers a variety of cooking demos, activities for
kids, massages and acupuncture therapy throughout the year. Most of the produce
is picked less than 48 hours before the market opens. Fresh foods like peaches,
blueberries and blackberries are abundant at the market. Austin Farmers Market
signature items include duck eggs and cocoa puro, a cocoa bean covered with
delicate layers of chocolate.
4th and Guadalupe
Republic Square Park
Austin, Texas
austinfarmersmarket.org
Hours: Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Haymarket, Boston
If you’re looking for an authentic outdoor market experience, the Boston
Haymarket is the place to go. Don’t be startled by the sellers shouting
out prices like “12 cent cucumbers” or “10 for $1 red bell
peppers.” Providing Bostonians with cheap goods for over 100 years, the
market still strives to keep up with the latest craze of food. Amid the chaos,
you can find mangos and boniato, a Caribbean root vegetable similar to a sweet
potato, alongside traditional produce like red apples and green beans. The market
can offer such incredible prices on goods like Brussels sprouts and lemons because
they buy from the Chelsea Produce Terminal on Thursdays and Fridays, when they
clear their stock for upcoming shipments.
Blackstone Street
Boston, Mass.
Hours: Friday and Saturday during daylight hours