You will ask yourself how I can write a mostly negative review of one of the best Farmer's Market…read morearound and still give it 4 stars. So I will explain. The Downtown Farmer's Market is a outstanding venue and is one of the largest in the nation and probably in the state. I have been involved with it every since it first started both as a buyer and as a concessioner. Over the years the market has expanded to extend for many city blocks and attracts vendors from miles around. The downtown market is not a true Farmer's Market in that it allows non-food vendors as well. You will see people selling everything from jewelry to candles; food sellers from local restaurants, wine, clothing, local charities, entertainers, and so on. Among all the vendors are actual produce sellers. A list of most vendors can be found on the Downtown Market website. It is a huge and fabulous Saturday event. And yet I prefer to skip it in favor of other Farmer's Markets which are smaller and more produce oriented for the following reasons. 1. It is VERY crowded. Attendance is high (easily topping 16,000 per Saturday morning) and the jostling and shoving can be overwhelming at times. You will find a lot to purchase but you will leave exhausted. 2. It has become so big that you will find it difficult to find the vendors you really want to buy from among the 220 + vendors. We are talking about 11 streets here and no printed map to guide you. 3. The crowding is aggravated by carts and strollers making it difficult for challenged walkers to navigate. I recommend that seniors try the smaller markets instead. 4. The organizers still have not learned to ban dog walkers. You will have to dodge leases, the infrequent dog fight, and other canine problems. Just think a minute. What would you think if you saw people walking the aisles of the local supermarket with a dog? What we have in the Cedar Rapids Downtown Market is a great market that has gotten a bit too big and needs to be trimmed down. I am a long-time fan of Farmer's Markets and have attended them for many years, long before the downtown market even existed, but my preference is for the smaller markets, which I visit once a week religiously. The downtown market is only an occasional thing.

First off, lets call it what it is people, it's a french market, not a farmers market…read more Supposedly one of the largest 'farmers' markets in the Midwest, and I'd believe it. At least 8 blocks of produce, meat, baked goods, jewelry, crafts, and street food vendors. I didn't check *every* produce vendor but the ones I did notice were all from Iowa. I wish I had a cooler big enough to bring some organic free range chickens raised in Iowa all the way home to Chicago. It's a pity this market is only every other weekend. By 8:30 the streets were packed and a few vendors were running out of green beans and cherries already. Only open till noon so get up early and wander around downtown Cedar Rapids before all the good stuff is gone!

I was recording at the Magic Barn this week and let me tell you when you are in a recording studio…read morefor 12 hours a day sometimes you need a little sunshine and good healthy food! Lucky for me the Iowa Grown Market little roadside market was open! I snagged some Romaine and Spinach from Bethany, who was very sweet and I could tell she was super passionate about her produce that she grew and was super excited to talk about the healthy food she grows! This is about 5 miles north of Iowa City, and totally worth the drive to say hi, and get some veggies that are grown with love!

From the owner: Greenhouse and farm located near West Branch, IA.read more

For the size of the city, it does really well. You can even somehow sometimes find parking which is…read morefree for an hour in the adjacent lot. The only thing that threw me off was the tokens. I thought you had to buy these wooden chips and most places except cash or card so I don't know as I ended up losing Some of my wooden chips. The food options are fine. It's the same vendors you often see at the Iowa football game, jazz festivals, etc.. I chose the morning fix even though I usually get the Asian eggrolls and crab Rangoon's

Another wonderful morning at the farmers market. Today we browsed with an iced coffe from Kombucha…read moreand pickup lettuce and some cucumbers. We also tried a Korean corndog and grabbed some macaroons and a pain suisse.

I've made a few trips to this market over the past several years and I am routinely disappointed…read more Crammed into the Taube Park parking lot, to access the few vendors available, you're dodging car traffic as well as the crowds. It's a weird layout with booths in the lot and the rest down the walkway to the pavilion. (There is a sprawling green area but someone decided to put pedestrians in the way of traffic in the tiniest lot possible?!) My biggest gripe though is the lack of produce... at the FARMERS market. I saw maybe two meat vendors, a honey stand, and someone's grandma selling their nasty home baked goods, while the remaining booths were occupied by the library and random crafters with yard signs and home decor. I'm not against the crafters per se, but they have their own fairs and markets all year round. I feel strongly that farmers markets are an important community resource for farmers and residents alike so this seems like a huge disservice on the organizers' part (particularly so in this economic climate). Until they sort that out, I will continue to skip this market in favor of Hiawatha's market an extra 10 minutes across town where they have actual produce and foodstuffs for sale.

Even though it was the early growing season (second weekend in May), the FM was packed full of…read morevendors. There were a couple of honey purveyors, food trucks (must get a breakfast burrito from Cottonwood Canyon), artisans, and plant vendors. We did buy mushrooms, asparagus, honey, and a beeswax candle.

This is a small family friendly farmers/ fresh air market with multiple vendors selling fresh…read morevegetables such as tomatoes, asparagus, and rhubarb, along with small bakers selling fresh homemade breads, and pastries, along with fresh jellies and jams and of course, local honey. In addition, there's a woodcarver making whimsical signs for the front of your home and Lawn. There are prepared food vendors such as breakfast sandwiches and seasoned jerk chicken and pork. The vendors are friendly and eager to convince you their products are the freshest and best. It's in an open air parking lot with plenty of walking space for pedestrians along with their furry friends. There's plenty of parking in the parking lots as well as along the street. It's a great early morning Sunday adventure. The market is seasonal, May through October, and only open from 10 AM and not before, until 1 PM on SUNDAY.

Updated to add - since my review only a few short weeks ago, the market has gone to the dogs! Ive…read morenow seen 2-3 vendors each weekend offering holistic treats and services for pups. We've also seen a variety of new vendors including wine and kombucha! This weekend there was also live music. I very much recommend this market. We're getting to know the vendors a little bit and everyone is so friendly. The quality of produce is great and we've definitely found some go to booths. (Special acknowledgements: Rehberg's Pork, HP Meats, Deranged Chicken, Jammin Jerry's Jam, and The Salsa Guy)