Ithaca Farmers Market

The Ithaca Farmers Market is hosted in a beautiful all-weather pavilion on Saturdays and Sundays. Please check IthacaMarket.com for the latest visitor safety policies and list of vendors. Everyone is required to wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose, all images in this story were taken prior to 2020. Tables are available to enjoy food and beverage purchases on-site.

When you come to the Farmers Market, “you’ll get a real slice of life in Ithaca,” says the Ithaca Farmers Market manager. “It’s great people-watching and it gives you a great sense of the community that Ithaca fosters. It’s a perfect place to bring people who haven’t been to town before to really show them what Ithaca has to offer.”

Founded in 1974, the Farmers Market has grown to receive national acclaim and has recently been featured on lists like Trip Advisor’s Top 20 Markets for Foodies, American Farmland Trust’s Most Celebrated Farmers Markets, and Zagat’s 8 Must-Visit Farmers Markets around the U.S.

“I‘m visiting from Los Angeles. There’s great stuff out there, but there’s a real sense of community here that I have not experienced anywhere else. It’s something hard to find!”

-RALPH GUZZO, LOS ANGELES, CA

WHAT TO EXPECT

With over 85 vendor stalls, you’ll find a variety of produce, prepared food, and crafts, all produced within a 30-mile radius of the Ithaca Farmers Market. The requirements to become a vendor are strict– resale is not allowed and the owner of the business must be present for a significant percentage of Market hours. This means that quality is high and customers get face time with the farmers, chefs, and artisans themselves.

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL

In addition to the bounty of produce, you’ll find a delicious and diverse variety of prepared dishes and snacks including authentic Laotian, Cuban, Indian, Cambodian and Thai cuisines, Amish jams, macrobiotic meals, and local organic meats, eggs, and artisan sourdough in your made-to-order breakfast.

A market regular recommends Enat Ethiopian Cusine. “They have authentic Ethiopian food, complete with the injera bread. They also have an Ethiopian-style, strong coffee. It’s a great option at the Market that might not be available elsewhere for a lot of people.”

You’ll find many craft vendors weaving, carving, painting, and sewing in their stalls, using their time at the Farmers Market to produce new goods for sale. You can’t get much more local than that. And of course, there’s the stunning waterfront setting. In the evenings when the Market isn’t filled with vendors, you’ll find the pavilion rented out for weddings and community celebrations almost every summer weekend.

“We go to the markets in the city, but this is absolutely idyllic.”
- MARINA ROSS, NEW YORK, NY

BEST TIMES TO VISIT

Saturdays are bustling with musicians, vendors, and market-goers, while Sundays are full but slightly more mellow.

Visit in the early fall for the largest variety of produce, from tomatoes and apples to fresh greens and winter squash. If you’re here in the colder months, just bundle up and enjoy the market with a hot cup of cider, and be sure not to miss the annual International Rutabaga Curling Championship!

“We used to live in Ithaca, and we just moved back to Buffalo from California. We have great memories of breakfast burritos and throwing rocks in the lake, so we made the trip down to the Farmers Market today because now we get to share those memories with our son!”

- KRISTIN & AVERY CROUSE, BUFFALO, NY

WHAT NOT TO MISS

The coffee roasters at the Ithaca Farmers Market have received national acclaim, and the Solaz breakfast burritos are a cult classic. Grab a gorgeous locally-grown bouquet and take some time to enjoy the views from the shaded benches or the sunny dock. Hour-long lake cruises take off from the end of the dock three times a day throughout the summer– no reservation required.

“Everyone goes straight to Solaz and Macro Mamas, but there’s a lot of other vendors doing cool things. Crooked Carrot’s line of fermented vegetables is awesome– they buy from local farmers, their food is excellent, and they’re all about giving out free samples,” recommends the market manager.

“I was very excited to see Forty Weight Coffee Roasters here– there’s a coffee shop in Brooklyn called Roots Cafe that serves their coffee. So I got to come see where it’s from and meet the guys that roast it. Very cool. We also got breakfast burritos from the burrito legend, Solaz. They were outstanding.”
- SETH KALLEN, BROOKLYN, NY

TIPS FROM THE LOCALS

If you bike to the Ithaca Farmers Market on Saturdays, stop by the Market office and show your helmet for a free tote bag, or at Silent City Coffee for a free cup of Joe!

“It’s easy to drive to the Market, but for a really unparalleled experience, rent a bike at Ithaca Bike Rentals or rent a kayak at Puddledockers and kayak or bike to the Market,” says Aaron Munzer. “It’s easy, and it’s just a really cool way to go shopping - by bike or by boat. You’ll arrive in style and beat the crowd!” You can also find people in canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards making their way to shore on the Cayuga Waterfront to join in on the festivities.

VISIT THE ITHACA FARMERS MARKET AT THE STEAMBOAT LANDING PAVILION ON SATURDAYS APRIL THROUGH DECEMBER AND SUNDAYS MAY THROUGH NOVEMBER. FIND HOURS AND VENDOR INFORMATION AT ITHACAMARKET.COM.

FOOTNOTES

This story was created as part of the Farm to Fork Ithaca initiative, made possible with a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Program. Photos by Allison Usavage, allisonusavage.com.

Ithaca Farmers' Market, 3rd Street, Ithaca, NY, United States

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