Farmers’ markets in Utah are filled with rows of fruits and bins of vegetables under white tents on warm summer mornings. Walk through one slowly, and you’ll notice the locals in aprons handing out samples and kids running around with shaved ice. Someone plays an acoustic guitar nearby, not for tips, but just because it’s a Saturday.
These markets are deeply alive and ingrained in the Salt Lake culture. They return each summer to remind us that local food matters, that small businesses matter and that showing up to support your neighborhood, even just by buying a carton of eggs, is everything.
Downtown Farmers Market
At Pioneer Park, the Downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market runs on Saturdays from June 7 to Oct. 25, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is the most popular market in SLC. Vendors fill the park with overflowing produce tables and fresh bread stacked like bricks. It’s where chefs shop for herbs, where nonprofit booths hand out brochures, where you hear four different languages before reaching the honey stand.
9th West Farmers Market
A few miles west, on Sundays from mid-June through mid-October, there’s the 9th West Farmers Market at 1060 S 900 W, running 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s near the International Peace Gardens, supporting SLC’s west side locals. It’s smaller and less intense than the Downtown Farmers Market, but it has just as much sense of community.
Sunnyvale & New Roots Farmers Market
In South Salt Lake, the Sunnyvale Farmers Market opens on Saturdays from June 21 to Oct. 18, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., tucked inside Sunnyvale Park. The market supports first-generation immigrants and refugees, where New Roots works to build a healthier community. They also provide a free kids’ lunch and food pantry. Contact [email protected] for more information.
New Roots also hosts another farmers market at their farm on 3005 Lester St in West Valley City. They are open on Wednesdays, June 25 to Oct. 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Here, farm stands will be selling locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Millcreek Farmers Market
Head to Millcreek Commons on a Wednesday evening, and you’ll find the Millcreek Farmers Market open. It runs from July to Sept. 24 between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., right next to the roller skating rink. It’s great for a summer night out in the Millcreek area.
Park Silly Sunday Market
The Park Silly Sunday Market is held on select Sundays, June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; July 13, 20; Aug. 31 and Sept. 7, 14, 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market takes over Main Street in Park City. Booths of artists, nonprofits and performers wind uphill past galleries and restaurants.
Wheeler Sunday Market
And then there’s Wheeler Sunday Market, nestled into the grounds of Wheeler Historic Farm in Murray, from May 18 to Oct. 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This market is great if you want a mix of history with your shopping experience.
The Plaza Market
The Plaza Market at Downtown Daybreak Plaza, South Jordan, is open on Saturdays. It runs from July 5 through Sept. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is live music and more local vendors, where you can relax in the heart of Daybreak.
These markets can be busy, but they can also be calm. They’re consistent and filled with wonderful food, art and performances. They are a reminder, week after week, of the value in supporting local. And in a time when everything feels disposable or distant, that may be reason enough to return.
