Watermelon. Swimming. BBQ. Fireworks. Baseball. These are a just a few words that I will always associate with summer, even more so now that I’m living in Salt Lake City and trying to create my own life and traditions. Over the last few years, I’ve decided to add one more thing to my list of summer “essentials” in order to capitalize on the most glorious of seasons: farmers markets.
Oh yeah.
Nothing gets me up (willingly) on a Saturday morning during the summer like great farmers markets! Starting in April, I scour the web for lists of vendors, farmers, restaurants, everything and anything that will be associated with my local markets. I even create an appointment on my work and personal calendars, marking the start of the farmers markets in my area!
**Read about my San Francisco Farmers Market experience here!**
So, if you’re visiting Salt Lake City during the summer months, or if you’re a local and looking to try something new, I’ve compiled the most information I could about the 2 farmers markets in downtown to help you make the most of your visits! Salt Lake City is an up-and-coming foodie hub, and supporting local farmers, producers, and artisans will not only enrich our local culture, but boost the economy and bring more exciting venues to Utah’s capital.
Liberty Park Market
Dates: Every Friday from early-June through mid-October
Hours: 4pm – dusk
Location: East side of Liberty Park, 1300 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, Utah
Parking: Entrances to the parking lots are located off of 1300 South and 900 South. Heed the parking signs! Parking can be a beast as you get closer to the market: the lots are narrow with single strip of cars parking at a 45° angle, with some visibility issues. Be patient when looking for a spot, or, better yet, just park a little ways away and enjoy the paths through the park as you walk to the market.
About: According to its website, the Liberty Park Market began as a way to bring fresh food options to the Liberty Wells area of Salt Lake City. Although not technically a food desert, the Liberty Wells Community Council wanted to make sure that intercity residents had access to fresh food, while also supporting local business owners and farmers. Some of the vendors grow their produce in nearby community gardens.
While the vendors are pretty much what you would come to expect at a summer market (produce, trinkets, soaps, artwork), what you really want to come for are the food trucks!
Food trucks are finally becoming a hot commodity in Salt Lake City, and the variety that we’ve been able to see grow has been encouraging. At the start of the movement, we had (delicious) standard taco carts set up all down State Street, a few dessert trucks, and a few Asian-themed trucks. Now, we’ve got everything from BBQ, to Italian, to gourmet grilled cheese, to Sudanese! It warms my heart to see the more “exotic” trucks getting the most patrons: they bring a different culture to Salt Lake City that has been lacking in the past.
The Liberty Park Market is still in its infancy: vendors are few and crowds are small, but I’ve noticed a steady growth over the last few weeks. Maybe the Friday night venue is a big contributor to the growth? Maybe being able to stop at a summer market on the way home from a long week at the office is the perfect way to unwind and reset before heading home? Or maybe it’s a cheap, albeit fun, date night to stroll amongst the white tent-city, inhaling lavender, incense, and peach blossoms.
If big crowds aren’t particularly appealing to you, this is the perfect summer market for you! Instead of jostling to get face-to-face time with the vendors, you have plenty of time to hear their stories, ask your questions, and really get to know something about the local culture.
Rachelle’s tips:
- Bring cash. Although a lot of the vendors accept credit cards, not all have the Square and an iPhone. There aren’t any ATMs around, so stop before you come to the market.
- As with most summer markets, there are a few vendors who aren’t associated with the Liberty Park Market and set up their tables a few hundred yards south of the main hub. Exercise caution when making any purchases from them.
- If you bring your dog, please keep it on a leash and remember to pick up after it. There are always lots of dogs at the summer markets and nothing is worse than having a dog come up behind you and grab something delicious from your hand!
Downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market
Dates: Every Saturday morning from early-June through mid-October
Hours: 8am-2pm
Location: Pioneer Park, 300 South 300 West, Salt Lake City, Utah
Parking: Most of the parking spots that back up to the park are saved for vendors and police, but there are tons of options all around. Since the summer market encompasses the entire perimeter of the 10-acre park, there is no official “entrance” and consequently, no main parking hub.
The Gateway offers free parking for the first hour you’re at the market, and validations can be picked up from any market info booth (not vendors). There are various pay lots directly across the street from Pioneer Park if you’d rather not deal with trying to find a free spot. But honestly, you’d have to try really hard to NOT find a parking spot…you might need to walk a block or so, but let’s face it: the market is worth it!
My personal favorite spot to park is about half a block away from the market: the west side of the Homewood Suites on 423 W 300 S, Salt Lake City, Utah. Not only are there tons of free parking spots available, the spots are shaded so you don’t roast when you get back into your car!
If you live close to the market, are visiting and staying in a hotel close-by, or want to maybe take TRAX to the market, you could most definitely ride your bike to Pioneer Park. The Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective has a free bike valet for market patrons every Saturday morning during the summer, stationed at the southeast corner of Pioneer Park (400 South 300 West). All they recommend is that you bring a basket or backpack to transport whatever delicious or beautiful things you purchase!
About: 2017 marks the 26th year of the Downtown Farmers Market in Salt Lake City and can be argued as one of the most beloved summer traditions for locals and visitors alike. Back in 1992, the Downtown Alliance of Salt Lake City wanted to “introduce positive activities to Pioneer Park–a 10-acre green space notorious for criminal activities.” Vendors come from all over the state (and sometimes Idaho and Colorado) and share their passions to support the motto “Make it, bake it, grow it.”
Have you ever seen the Disney movie “Bedknobs and Broomsticks?” If you have, think back to the scene where they’re in Portobello Road, with all of the vendors and kitchy stuff. Got that in your mind? Now, class it up a lot and you’ve got the craft section of the market down pat. There is such a wide variety of trinkets to buy, soaps to smell, paintings to get lost in: from animals made from silverware, to organic bath bombs and famous paintings with the Tardis making an appearance. My favorite? Journals made out of discarded children’s books.
The produce section is my favorite part of this summer market and what gets me out of bed in the wee hours of Saturday. Kale. Corn. Watermelon. Cherries. Radishes. Onions. Mushrooms. Chard. Carrots. Anything in season and growable within 250 miles of Salt Lake City can be found within at least one of the vendor tents.
While the crafts and produce tents occupy the majority of Pioneer Park’s perimeter, the food stalls claim much of the interior. Empanadas, juices, kettle corn, burritos, and all sorts of deliciousness can be found at the market! Get ready for sensory overload!
Rachelle’s tips:
- Arrive early! The Downtown Farmers Market is very popular and many people attend every week, rain or shine.
- There are tons of dogs, so if you’re not really a dog person, think hard about coming. Many vendors provide water and treats for dogs, and there are even vendors who sell organic doggie treats!
- Bring your reusable bags! Some of the vendors have special bags that they are permitted to give out, but help save the environment, one bag at a time, by bringing your own!
- There are ATMs at the park, but bring your own cash if you want to avoid a steep ATM fee. Most of the vendors, especially the artisans, accept credit cards, but err on the side of cash.
- Please do not give money to the panhandlers that work the area around Pioneer Park: the homeless shelters are nearby and many transient camps are around the corner. I know this sounds harsh and I won’t be discussing this topic much further, but Salt Lake City is making a change to panhandling laws and focus on building up programs that help people who need it. You can read more about the city’s decision here, here, here, and and here.
- Talk to the vendors! They’re awesome and it’s fun to hear about their processes, their families, the names of the cows that provide the milk for their cheese, etc.
What’s your favorite aspect about a summer farmers market? Have you been to any? Where was your favorite one?
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