There’s so much goodness that comes with a visit to a Twin Cities-area farmers market. You’re picking up fresh fruit and veggies for your health, supporting local businesses in your community, reducing your carbon footprint by buying local foods, and on top of all that, getting some fresh air.

In some ways, the best farmers market is the one that’s most convenient — whether in your neighborhood, easy to access by public transit, or an afternoon/evening market you can stop into after work.

Luckily, there are so many farmers markets from which to choose: the festival atmosphere of the Minneapolis Farmers Market on Lyndale, kid-friendly neighborhood farmers markets, the beautiful St. Paul Farmer’s Market amidst the historic buildings of Lowertown, or the fancy Mill City Farmers Market right on the Mississippi River. Bring your reusable shopping bags, your appetite, and your curiosity as you get food right from the growers and culinary artisans that are part of your own community.

Minneapolis Farmers Market

Location: 312 East Lyndale Ave N., Minneapolis, and Nicollet Mall, between 6th and 9th streets

Days/Hours: Weekends 6am – 1pm. Check social media for weekday hours and Nicollet Mall schedule.

Summer Market start date: May 1

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): Yes.

Couched in the back door of downtown Minneapolis just east of 94, the Minneapolis Farmers Market is run by the Central Minnesota Vegetables Growers Association (CMVGA). It’s a membership-based organization, that requires vendors to display whether they are a local grower/producer/maker or a Minneapolis licensed reseller. The Minneapolis Farmers Market takes up three larger sheds on the north side of Third Avenue (a separately-run private farmers market take up the smaller market on the south side). People watching opportunities abound, and besides any kind of produce imaginable, look out for Tollefson’s breakfast brats, and  smoked fish from The Trout Monger, a solar-powered trout farm. This is also a great place to pick up flowers for the week, as well as specialty items, like fancy honey, real maple syrup, and soaps that smell like Minnesota’s prairie.

Farmers Market Annex

Location: 200 E Lyndale Ave N., Minneapolis

Days/Hours: Weekends 7 a..m. to 1 p.m.

Summer market start date: April 23

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): No, but does support Healthy Savings through UCAre

Where the Minneapolis Farmers Market Annex is focused on farmers and food businesses, the adjacent yet unaffiliated Farmers Market Annex has a broader range of gifts, crafts, jewelry, art, clothing and entertainment.

St. Paul Farmers’ Market

Location: 290 5th St E, St Paul. Check website for other St. Paul Farmers’ Market locations/times.

Days/Hours: 7am-1pm Saturdays,  8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays

Summer market start date: April 23

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): Yes

The produce at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market, whose largest location is in the heart of Lowertown, is locally grown, sold directly by the grower, with many of the farmers from immigrant communities. The open-air market, surrounded by the beautiful old buildings of Lowertown, is one of the more reasonably priced in the Twin Cities— with great variety. Make sure to stop at Minnebao to get your Chinese bun fix, and stop at Golden's Market Bagel Stand for a breakfast sandwich. Besides the main market, St. Paul Farmer’s Market also has smaller markets at other locations in St. Paul and the suburbs on select days. Check their website for days/times.

Mill City Farmers Market

Location: 750 S 2nd St., Minneapolis

Days/Hours: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays

Summer market start date: May 7

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): Yes

Located between the Guthrie Theater and the Mill City Museum, the Mill City Farmers market is a destination market for all your artesian foods and epicurean needs. Make a day of it with a visit to Mill City Ruins and/or the Stone Arch Bridge, and perhaps lunch at the Farmers Kitchen + Bar, owned by farmer-members of the Minnesota Farmers Union. Besides your groceries, stop by a cooking class, take part in free, outdoor, yoga, and enjoy the music at this market that has a commitment to sustainability, is zero-waste, and has programs that support small farms and food businesses.

West Broadway Farmers Market

Location: The Plaza @ The Capri, 2027 Broadway Ave. N.  

Days/Hours: 3-7 p.m. Fridays

Summer market start date: June 17

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): Yes

Appetite for Change runs the West Broadway Farmers Market in North Minneapolis, with an emphasis on creating access to fresh foods for the neighborhood, and economic development for Northsiders. With rotating food trucks and great music, some of the hits last year were the tasty brews of Flava Café, salad fixings grown right in Minneapolis by LUV Microgreens, and fresh salsa and jellies by Deedee's Foods.

Midtown Farmers Market 

Location: 2225 E Lake St.

Days/Hours: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays starting in June

Summer market start date: May 7

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): Yes

The Midtown Farmers Market has a new location this summer, on the north side of Lake Street, just east of Hiawatha. Easily accessible by bus, light rail, and near the Midtown Greenway, the Midtown Farmers Market has a community vibe and not too crowded. Come hungry for the robust street vendor cohort, and watch out for local honey, spicy pickles, and fresh veggies by local farmers. They also have the Try It! Remix Program, which gives an opportunity for small businesses to try the market experience, with priority going to BIPOC, LGBTQ, and women from the Twin Cities.

Neighborhood Roots

Location: Fulton: 4901 Chowen Ave. S, Minneapolis, Kingfield, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Park at 40th & Nicollet

Days/Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at Fulton, same hours on Sundays at Kingfield

Summer market start date: May 22 (Kingfield), May 21 (Fulton)

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): Yes

Visit Neighborhood Roots markets in Kingfield and Fulton (the Nokomis location is taking a hiatus this year), for a friendly, family friendly and neighborly farmers market experience. The nonprofit organization, began as an off-shoot of the Kingfield Neighborhood Association. Highlights include Peter’s Pumpkins and Carmen’s Corn and Dawn 2 Dusk, a sustainable, organic farm run by Kenyan-Americans Moses Momanyi and Lonah Onyancha, as well as their family. There’s live music, food demonstrations, and educational programming for young market shoppers.

Four Sisters Farmers Market

Location: 1414 E Franklin Ave., Minneapolis

Days/Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays

Summer market start date: May 5 (tentative)

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): Yes

A partnership of the Native American Community Development Initiative and Hope Community, the Four Sisters Farmers Market focuses on Native farmers and Indigenous food producers, highlighting indigenous foodways and culturally appropriate food within the American Indian Cultural Corridor. Look for hyper-local products, wonderful teas and medicinal offerings, right in the heart of the Phillips neighborhood.

Bloomington Farmers Market

Location: East Lot, Bloomington Civic Plaza, 1800 W Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington

Days/Hours: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays starting July 13

Summer market start date: June 11

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): Yes

Located at the Bloomington Civic Plaza, the market it adjacent to the Bloomington Center for the Arts. Shop while you check out artist Erik Pearson 2,500-square-foot mural. During the summer, they host the Midweek Music and Market, a concert series held when the market is in operation, with lawn games and food trucks.

Northeast Farmers Market

Location: University Ave NE & 7th Ave NE

Days/Hours: Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Summer market start date: May 14

EBT/Market Bucks ($10 in tokens for first $10 spent with EBT): Yes

The Northeast Farmers Market shares an origin with the Eastside Food Co-op, with the farmers market becoming its own entity in 2003. It’s quaint, with an excellent selection of veggies and produce, and you can also find baked goods and prepared foods as well. The food truck scene at Northeast also holds a high bar. Plus, they have a children’s tent run by volunteers, where kids get a $2 market token on fresh produce.

This feature is part of The Current’s 89 Days of Spring series, helping you enjoy the best of the season with weekly guides to events, entertainment, and recreation in the Twin Cities.