Market Square Farmers’ Market

I go to the Market Square Farmers Market religiously every Saturday May-​November. It is my happy place! Lol. Veggies and art and babies and music and food trucks and honey and booze and dogs and my ferret. He is the center of attention every week. It is places like this that make Knoxville such a beautiful city to live in. I am proud to be a part of the culture and community that exists here.

Have you ever tried to impress New Yorkers? I’m fairly certain that you could swallow fire while hula hooping in a hand stand and the only response that you would elicit is a half-​hearted ‘meh’. Last week at the farmers market, I struck up a conversation with a couple in town from New York. I learned that they hadn’t selected Knoxville as a vacation destination, but were here to do research in Oak Ridge for a book. And though they hadn’t expected much from our little city, they were actually impressed with not just one thing, but had found 2 things to blow their socks off. 1) The people in Knoxville are very nice. (Our southern charm had been on it’s best behavior) and 2) the Market Square Farmers Market. The second with good reason.
The farmers market has been something that I look forward to weekly since I moved to Knoxville 6 years ago. And in that time, it has grown exponentially! The number of vendors is still growing and the variety is plentiful. Grab a basket and do your weekly shopping from local farmers. Pick up treats for your 4-​legged friends. Grab a flower bouquet to liven up your living room. And definitely grab yourself a delicious bite from one of the local food trucks lined up on Union.
Grab a coffee from Three Bears Coffee and walk the perimeter of the market and you will run into any number of street performers ranging from magician, to musician, to stilt walker. Stop and chat with the man that plays the saw and you will quickly realize that he is one of the kindest people around.
Our farmers market is a great market. Not just for our small city. It really is one of the best around. And it has something most can’t compete with: a touch of southern charm. It’s the kind of thing that makes New Yorkers take notice… and that’s saying something!

Great farmers’ market featuring lots of local talent, including produce, baked good, art, clothing, and more. Easy to walk on flat streets and sidewalks, parking nearby, incredibly pet friendly, and friendly vendors, too.
I visited this outdoor farmers’ market on a Saturday in June. Of course it was a little hot and muggy that day, which is why I hit up the market at 8am to beat the heat. Even that early, it was busy; the wide street they close for the market was already full of shoppers, vendors, and dogs. Lots of people bring their dogs, and I love it.
Almost all the vendors are locals to the Northeast Tennessee region. There seemed to be a good mix of people selling produce, baked or canned goods, art, clothing and jewelry, and a few selling services. My favorite was finding a booth filled with apples I had never heard of before, along with apple butter and hard apple cider. I grabbed two of everything.
This is a great market to visit almost any time of year. Wear comfortable shoes; it covers about a three block area. Come early to avoid the summer heat and get the best products before they’ve been picked over. Bring a solid cloth bag to hold everything, or you can buy some at the information booth in the middle.
TIP: There is no parking on-​site, however there is plenty of parking from garages and parking lots along Gay Street (one block back), the visitors center (two blocks away), and the parking garage at Clinch Avenue and Locust Street, just two blocks from the end of the market.