With more than 60 Virginia vendors and hundreds of patrons, the Ix Art Park Farmers Market comes alive every Saturday, year-round. It’s a picturesque setting with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background, and if you’re lucky, the sun will be shining brightly through the crisp fall air. I love spending the morning at the market, wandering around the booths and admiring the craftsmanship of local businesses.
The market at Ickx Art Park is not far from the university, about a 30-minute walk or 5-minute drive from the center of the grounds. Perfect for grocery shopping or social outings. I visit the market every few weeks with friends. Here are my tried-and-true suggestions for getting the most out of your shopping experience.
fresh food
We recommend Lesley’s Garden and Singing Earth Produce, two booths selling fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from local farms. Both vendors display their produce under large tents to accommodate the large crowds of patrons selecting their wares. These are the perfect farms to support if you want to stock up on nutritious essentials for the week ahead.
This weekend, these two vendors sold a variety of seasonal items, including pumpkins and pumpkins. Leslie’s Garden was planted with dried chiles, tomatoes, corn, carrots, purple cabbage, and home-grown pickles, as well as numerous flowers. Singing Earth Produce sold radishes, potatoes, peppers, onions and garlic. I learned from signs posted at their booths that these vendors offer a Fresh Match program worth up to $50 in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables.
The market also has specialty food outlets if you want to splurge on items you can’t find at the grocery store. I recommend stopping by Wegner Grapes and trying some of their Concord grapes. Grown locally in the Shenandoah Valley, they are incredibly juicy and sweet. This weekend, across the street from Wegner Grape was Edgewood Apiary, selling local raw honey in addition to catering including beehives, soaps and candles. I tried the raw honey and it had a light, fruity flavor that was different from other brands of honey I’ve tried. We recommend taking some honey and mixing it into your tea or drizzling it on baked goods.
Eating and drinking
In my opinion, the most important stop in this market is Frolic Coffee. The family-owned business roasts coffee in Charlottesville using organic beans sourced from Ethiopia, Honduras, and Peru. Very reasonably priced, customizable 12 oz ice cold beer for $3, it has become my favorite stop at the farmers market. When you pay for your drink, you are given a cup with ice and can pour as much cold beer as you like. You can then add milk, agave nectar, or simple syrup depending on your preference. There are plenty of other drink options as well, including batch-brew hot coffee, drip, chai, and matcha.
Grab your coffee at Frolic and head straight to Bee Conscious Bakery’s bright yellow tent. Bee Conscious Bakery is an eco-friendly family farm selling homemade pastries at Ix Art Park. They offer a variety of cookies and muffins made with organic ingredients, but I choose my personal favorite, the blueberry and lemon scones. The scones are always so moist, with the perfect balance of sweet blueberries and tangy lemon, and finished with a dusting of sugar.
During a recent visit to the market, I discovered LG’s Elixir, which sells organic cold-pressed juices. We use only 11 natural ingredients, including turmeric, ginger, and habanero pepper. I love fresh juice, so I tried it and the sour taste woke me up. It is also nourishing thanks to the antioxidants present in all natural ingredients. I’ll definitely be back next week to buy another bottle. Most booths are set up at the market every week, but LG’s Elixir is only open on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, so if you want to taste a refreshing ‘elixir’, plan your visit accordingly. Please. Corner juice lovers, this is for you.
crafts and flowers
This market also has many shops selling crafts, from handmade jewelry to arts and crafts. One of my favorites is the Charlottesville Poem Store, which sits at the unique intersection of art and community building. Name your topic and a vendor will write you a poem on the spot on a vintage typewriter. Personalized poems make thoughtful gifts for friends and family. The store also sells literary-inspired pins, bookmarks with poetry quotes, and small art prints.
Another popular booth was Orion Family Farms, a gay-owned flower farm located in Buckingham, Virginia. Customers can DIY their own bouquets or choose vases and paper wrapping. “Pay what you can, pay it forward” is Orion Family Farms’ motto, so our customizable flowers operate on a pay-as-you-want basis.
It’s a really fun activity to do with friends. When everyone chooses flowers together, each bouquet becomes completely different. However, these will soon disappear. Several times last semester I tried to make a bouquet, but all the flowers had been taken by the time I arrived. Stop by Orion Family Farm around 10 a.m. to ensure you choose the perfect flowers for your bouquet.
These are my main recommendations, but you can’t go wrong with any vendor you choose on the market. Each booth has great products and there’s always something new to discover.
The market is more than just a business hub, it’s a beautiful kaleidoscopic community. It’s one of the few events where local artisans, city dwellers, and students come together to enjoy food, art, and culture. For this reason, the market has become a staple of my college days, and I highly recommend a visit.
The market is open on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm from October to March and from 8am to 12pm from April to September.
