Whether you’re searching for local goodies from growers and artisans in your community, want something fun to do on the weekend, or simply need some fresh produce, Farmers Markets are the place to be. Visit community markets by yourself or with the family. There are always sweet treats to enjoy, arts and crafts to admire, and welcoming people to meet. Maple Grove, Minnesota, and the surrounding Minneapolis metropolitan area is full of great local markets worth visiting throughout the year. Here are six to check out.
Maple Grove Farmers Market
Image via Flickr by friendsoffamilyfarmers
Maple Grove Farmers Market at the Maple Grove Ice Arena and Community Center offers visitors fresh flowers, produce, bakery items, and more every Thursday from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. During colder months, the market moves to the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes for an indoor environment. If you know exactly what you’re looking for, you can actually order ahead and pick up your goods on market day.
Regularly available items include farm-fresh eggs, locally raised meat, microgreens, local honey, jams and preserves, and lotions and soaps. Come hungry and enjoy ready-to-eat items like pierogis and soups. Shop during the holiday season and find one-of-a-kind gifts for loved ones and freshly baked bread to serve with celebratory meals. In the spring and summer, you’ll find fresh berries and plants for your garden. It’s always a good time of year to visit the Maple Grove Farmers Market.
Brooklyn Park Farmers Market
Located at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center, about 9 miles from Maple Grove, on Wednesdays from 2 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., the Brooklyn Park Farmers Market is open every year in the spring, summer, and early fall. Here you’ll find vendor-grown produce, specialty foods, and items from local artisans. Community groups and nonprofit organizations also frequently host tables at the Brooklyn Park Farmers Market, so you can learn more about the local community and opportunities to get involved.
Osseo Farmers Market
The Osseo Farmers Market is a smaller local market at Boerboom Veterans Park, just about 7 miles from Maple Grove. This market is only open during the summer, but it’s definitely worth finding time to visit on a Tuesday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Shop fresh flowers, fruits and veggies, baked goods, and crafts. Keep an eye out for special events following the market, like outdoor movie nights and live music.
Roger’s Farmers Market
About 11 miles north of Maple Grove, Roger’s Farmers Market runs on Wednesday afternoons from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. from June to October. The market sets up shop in the downtown parking lot on Main Street near Lions Central Park Community Gardens and the Veterans Memorial. Plan to enjoy dinner from one of the many vendors offering prepared and hot ready-to-eat foods like barbecue, Tex-Mex style cuisine, or a food truck from a local restaurant.
Standard offerings include fresh produce from local farmers and growers, perennials and shrubs from nearby nurseries, and locally-raised meat products. Look for gifts or ways to spruce up your home with handmade soaps, candles, and natural cleaning products. Stock up on goodies like fresh loaves of bread, sweets, and pastries. You can even find artisan-made children’s toys, birdhouses, and other woodworking crafts. Looking for something for that special someone? Check out the jewelry, greeting cards, and sentimental items made by creative sellers in the community.
New Hope Community Farmers Market
New Hope Community Farmers Market is just 5 miles from Maple Grove and welcomes shoppers during the spring, summer, and fall. Stop by on a Saturday morning from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. to check out their ever-changing vendors. The market is located at the Civic Center Park on Xylon Avenue. Besides the amazing local vendors that showcase their goods week after week, this market also offers theme weekends, live music, and fun activities for families.
Certain weeks feature local crafters and artisans to support creativity in the community. You’ll find woodworking, sewing, crocheting, metalwork, and jewelry-making crafts among the regular offerings. Get some early holiday shopping done during the fall with artisans selling handmade wreaths and other items that make perfect gifts.
Fresh produce changes with the seasons. Come for fresh berries, cold-weather crops, and microgreens in the early spring, peppers, tomatoes, and hearty greens in the summer, and pumpkins, carrots, and squash in the fall. Local meats are also available so you can enjoy the very best cuts of locally-raised beef, fresh poultry, and pastured pork. Come hungry and enjoy crepes, fresh bread, and refreshments as you shop.
Midtown Farmers Market
During the summer and fall, head to the Midtown Farmers Market in south Minneapolis, 20 miles from Maple Grove. This market has been serving the community since 2003 and is working to secure a permanent location. In the meantime, the Midtown Farmers Market sets up shop at Moon Palace Books on Minnehaha Avenue from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. If you come by in the morning, enjoy some coffee from local roasters and a pastry or two from local bakeries. Afternoon and evening shoppers can grab dinner from food trucks.
Browse selections from farmers and growers, prepared foods, hot foods, and arts and crafts. Get top-notch produce from local USDA certified organic farms, urban farms, and orchards. Some local growers also keep bees to offer natural honey made from the nectar of various flowers. Support the reuse and repurpose movement by purchasing arts and crafts from artisans using reclaimed wood, recycled metal, and wild-harvested ingredients. Shop for natural soaps, fragrances, and products made with organic elements.
These are the local farmers markets that Crème de la Crème of Maple Grove, MN, thinks you should visit. What do you think? Did we forget to mention one of your favorites? If so, let us know, and maybe we’ll add it to the list and check it out ourselves. Find time to hit up these markets throughout the year, so you never miss out on any goodies.