The Freshest Farmers Markets in Nashville
Indulge in fresh produce, artisanal cheese, and freshly baked breads at Nashville’s local farmers markets.
In some cities, people will just buy some produce from a wholesaler, throw up a 10 x 10 tent, and call it a farmers market. But with such a huge variety of fresh seasonal produce grown within a short distance of Nashville, the city is blessed with an agricultural bounty at our local markets. From permanent locations like the downtown Nashville Farmers’ Market to pop-up events on the outskirts of town, shoppers can find fresh, seasonal products on just about any day of the week. Use this list to plan your shopping map and map your shopping plan.
Germantown
Created as an open-air market in 1955 and modernized with an enclosed market house and covered farm sheds in 1995, the Nashville Farmers’ Market has been an indispensable asset to the city for decades. The outdoor area welcomes more than 150 farmers and food artisans over the course of the year, and local restaurants and individuals purchase fresh produce every weekend except for the holidays around the turn of the year when, let’s face it, the food options are a little meager anyway. The indoor market house is home to almost twenty restaurants and shops plus a small stage for live music acts and cooking demonstrations.
Featured vendors to look for: Smiley’s Farm, Gardens of Babylon, Candle with a Handle
West Nashville
Green Door Gourmet offers a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers from its own 350-acre farm as well as artisan products from other producers in the Middle Tennessee region. The charming rustic farm store features prepared foods along with eggs, grass-fed meats, jams, dairy, and baked goods sourced from friends of the farm. The business is also focused on agritourism opportunities ranging from culinary classes to farm tours for school groups.
Featured vendors to look for: Noble Springs Dairy, Village Bakery + Provisions, White’s Elixirs
East Nashville
East Nashville residents plan their calendars around Tuesdays from April through December, because that’s when their neighborhood farmers market sets up shop in a parking lot at the corner of Woodland Street and 5th Street. In addition to fresh-from-the-farm produce and CSA pickups, this popular market features small operations that offer eggs, dairy, flowers, honey, and fish from Bucksnort Trout Ranch. Growers and producers man their own booths so that shoppers can ask questions about their growing practices and receive help in picking the best products.
Featured vendors to look for: Delvin Farms, Sequatchie Cove Farm, The Honey Collective
Donelson
Progressive residents of the sleepy suburb of Donelson banded together a few years ago and declared that their community was officially “hip.” Speaking it into existence, Donelson has become a popular spot for residents seeking more affordable housing outside of the urban core, and the weekly Friday farmers market has done a lot to elevate the standard of living. The volunteer-run operation requires that vendors be regional producers, so you won’t find tropical fruits or Alaskan crab claws, and that’s a good thing. What you will find is a plethora of vendors from within a 150-mile radius, ensuring that the produce and other products are fresh, local, and seasonal.
Featured vendors to look for: Caity Pies Bakery & BBQ, The Peach Truck, Zulema’s Kitchen
West Nashville
Nearly 100 vendors set up tents around the border of Richland Park every Saturday to showcase their wares to huge crowds of shoppers who make a visit to the market a weekly tradition. From farmers offering a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to specialty shops focusing on mushrooms, handmade pasta, pastries, and cheese, it’s easy to fill your market basket at Richland. Since it’s usually not a good idea to shop while you’re hungry, grab a quick breakfast from any of the many food trucks and stands that offer prepared meals before you start your hunting and gathering.
Featured vendors to look for: Henosis Mushrooms, Radical Rabbit, Nicolleto’s Pasta Co.
12 South
From May through October, neighbors gather on Tuesday afternoons under the shade of the tall trees in Sevier Park to visit and shop from regional producers who bring their harvest to the market. Live music is always a part of the festivities, and food trucks park in the lot next door to offer eats and treats. Throughout the season, the 12 South Farmers Market holds special events to draw attention to what’s in peak season from early spring strawberries to tomatoes and peaches at their juiciest during the hottest part of the summer.
Featured vendors to look for: Professor Bailey’s Pimento Cheese, PureCure Raw & Vegan, Amelia’s Flower Truck
Midtown
This small Thursday market is an off-shoot of the Nashville Farmers’ Market and is aimed at providing fresh produce to the students at Vandy and the busy healthcare professionals who work long hours at the Vanderbilt Hospital and Children’s Hospital. However, anyone is welcome to visit Medical Center Plaza where some of the same vendors from the bigger market downtown offer up their products in a less crowded shopping environment.
Featured vendors to look for: Cocorico, Laurel Mountain Bakery, Dobson Farms
Crieve Hall
When the Crieve Hall Neighborhood Association decided to organize its own farmers market, members picked Thursday as the date for their weekly event from May through the end of September. For a neighborhood market, it’s a pretty big operation, attracting as many as forty vendors to the parking lot of Crievewood United Methodist Church. Organizers are constantly looking for new vendors to keep the market fresh, so it’s worth checking in often to find out what’s on the menu.
Featured vendors to look for: MorEmpanadas, Suraj Spices and Teas, Baker Family Pastures
Franklin
More than twenty years ago, eight farms came together to form the first Franklin Farmers Market. Since then, the roster of vendors has expanded to dozens of local family farms and artisans who bring their products to the sprawling market every Saturday. In addition to fresh produce, shoppers can pick from an assortment of bakers, pitmasters, soapmakers, and specialty food artisans who offer healthy products at affordable prices.
Featured vendors to look for: Bear Creek Farm, Totty’s Bend Soap Farm, Bloomsbury Farm
Bellevue
This especially family-friendly farmers market takes place on Thursdays in the middle of Red Caboose Park, so there’s plenty to keep the kids busy on the playground while parents shop from a collection of local farmers and artisans. A rotating roster of food trucks provide meals to go or to nosh on while you’re shopping.
Featured vendors to look for: Mad Jo Roasters, The Longest Thread, The Stone Farm & Kitchen
Madison
Amqui Station served as the train station for Madison in the first half of the 20th century, and, fun fact, Johnny Cash actually purchased the station in 1979 to save it from demolition. Today, it’s home to a Sunday farmers market that specializes in vendors who “make it, bake it, or grow it.” Market organizers focus on fostering a sense of community through gathering to buy fresh produce, learning about the nutritional benefits of cooking with whole foods, and purchasing from local farmers and producers.
Featured vendors to look for: Dry Guys Pantry Supply, Steed Market Farm, Hempcetera
Nolensville Road
This producers-only market is open on Saturdays at the historic Nolensville School. Smart shoppers already know that the small markets lining Nolensville Road offer the sort of international ingredients and exotic produce that just aren’t found at most grocery stores, and the vendors that gather inside the school’s gymnasium and parking lot provide enough variety that shoppers can probably eschew big box store shopping anyway.
Featured vendors to look for: Hidden Holler Farms, Bantam Farm, Bucksnort Trout Ranch
Wedgewood-Houston
Wedgewood-Houston ticked off another box on the list of requirements to become a hip and happening neighborhood when this market first opened last year. Organized by the team behind the East Nashville and Richland Park markets, this weekly seasonal event draws shoppers to the verdant one-acre greenspace in the shadow of the old guitar-shaped scoreboard scavenged from the nearby Greer Stadium before it was demolished. The field is a perfect spot for a picnic while shopping for fruits, veggies, and prepared foods from some of the same vendors that frequent the East Nashville and Richland Park markets. Offering convenient choices to locals, these organizers are taking away most of the barriers to shopping and eating locally.
Featured vendors to look for: Bugtussle Farm, Zysis Garden, Tucker’s Pepper Company