Neighborhood Farmers Markets: Where to Find Great Local Produce in PDX
Great Green Produce at the King Farmers Market
Reap the Harvest as Early as Now at These PDX-Area Farmers Markets
Did you know that the Portland area is home to almost 50 farmers markets?! Of course, months, days, and times of operation vary from market to market. And as many as seven of them are operated by the granddad of all markets - The Portland Farmers Market started back in 1992 - while the rest are independent.
What this means is that no matter where you live in the Portland area, you are sure to find fresh produce, meats, artisanal cheeses, fresh bread, snacks, fresh cut flowers, and any and all manner of other goods at a local farmers market.
Most of the markets in the greater Portland area have places to sit with vendors ready to sell you a lunch or a snack, and many of them have live entertainment as well. Just about all of them accept Oregon Trail SNAP benefits (the Oregon equivalent of food stamps), and many are set up to take credit and debit cards, too. Read on for an abridged list of some of the best markets Portland has to offer.
The Portland Farmers Market
Portland State University – Downtown
The Big One at PSU in the Park Blocks, Saturdays
The “big one,” the main farmers market on Saturdays in the South Park Blocks at Portland State University, runs all year-round. It has 140 spaces and throughout the year attracts more than 200 vendors. At the peak of summer, as many as twenty thousand people come through this market. There are chef demonstrations, cooking classes for the kids, food education events, live music, and many other forms of entertainment
Portland Farmers Market also runs two other downtown markets; one at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Mondays from 10:00 - 2:00, from June to September; and another one in the park blocks behind the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Wednesdays from 10:00 - 2:00, from May to November.
Northwest Portland Farmers Market
Portland Farmers Market runs the Northwest Market, which is currently housed at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, located at Nineteenth and Everett in Northwest Portland. The market runs from 2:00 - 6:00 on Thursdays, June through September. The market has space for up to twenty-five vendors.
Northwest Farmers Market in PDX
Kenton Farmers Market
This market runs from 3:00 - 7:00 on Wednesday evenings, from June to September, in the middle of the historic Kenton neighborhood in North Portland. This is also one of the rare farmers markets that is hosted right on the neighborhood’s streets, with the city shutting traffic off to make room for the twenty vendor stalls and a live music stage.
Kenton Farmers Market in PDX
A market that can feel a bit like a street fair, Kenton also boasts the enthusiastic participation of the businesses that line the streets where the market is held.
King Farmers Market
The King neighborhood farmers market is located a block south of Alberta Street, and next to both King Elementary and King School Park. It runs from 10:00 - 2:00 on Sundays, from May to November. It has thirty-five vendor stalls, and what might be the strongest entertainment program of any of the Portland markets.
Lents International Farmers Market
Lents International Farmers Market in PDX
The Lents International Farmers Market is the only internationally focused farmers market. It provides a wide variety of culturally specific produce to the myriad of diverse Asian, Latin American, and Eastern European neighbors that make up the Lents neighborhood. It runs from 9:00 - 2:00 on Sundays, at Ninety-First and Foster. This market is still in its infancy, though it is growing quite rapidly.
Other Area Markets
There are many other farmers markets in the various neighborhoods throughout Portland, as well as in the towns surrounding the city. There are markets in NE Cully, SW Hillsdale, NE Irvington, NE Lloyd, NE Hollywood, SE Montavilla, SE Moreland, SW OHSU, NE Parkrose, N St. John’s, as well as in several other Portland neighborhoods.
On the East side, Clackamas, Estacada, Damascus, Sandy, and Fairview all have markets, and the suburb of Gresham hosts two per week. On the West side, Forest Grove, Canby, Cedar Mill, Lake Oswego, and Sherwood all have weekly markets, and Hillsboro has two per week.
With all that in mind, there really is a farmers market that’s conveniently located for everyone who lives in the greater Portland area!
[Photos Via: Individual Farmers Markets Sites; PDX Eater]