We’ll have four weekly farmers tailgate market options in Buncombe County this winter! Make sure to visit the winter market versions of Asheville City Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market, River Arts District Farmers Market, and the Weaverville Tailgate Market for year-round shopping.
Though winter markets are smaller, you can still find a solid mix of seasonal produce. You’ll find storage crops, like sweet potatoes, potatoes, and winter squash, plus cold-weather veggies like turnips, radishes, and dark leafy greens. Meats, eggs, cheeses, bread, and artisan foods are also available. Here’s what to look for at each market:
Asheville City Market: Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on North Market Street between Woodfin and Walnut Streets in downtown Asheville. The market will continue outdoors through the winter, shifting its hours slightly later with the hopes of avoiding the coldest early-morning temperatures. The market will have an average of 40 vendors per week, with many continuing on from the regular season, as well as new vendors like Highgate Farm, Ivy Fields Farm Stand, Tonoloway Farm and Sunday Bread Company. Expect about a dozen produce vendors each week, including some returning farm favorites like Lee’s One Fortune Farm, Ten Mile Farm and Seven Seeds Farm, in addition several meat and cheese, coffee, artisan food products, and baked goods vendors!
North Asheville Tailgate Market: Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., outdoors in lot P34 of UNC Asheville (275 Edgewood Rd.). The market will welcome back many of their regular season vendors like Black Trumpet Farm, Good Wheel Farm, and Dolci Di Maria
River Arts District Winter Market: Wednesdays, 3 to 5:30 p.m., outdoors at Smoky Park Supper Club (350 Riverside Dr.). You can find winter produce here from vendors like Full Sun Farm, Wild East Farm and Flying Cloud Farm, along with specialty products like specialty pork sausage from Sugar Hollow Farm, fermented foods from Sweet Brine’d, small batch hot sauces from Better Thymes, and much more!
Weaverville Winter Tailgate Market: Wednesdays, 3 to 6 p.m., indoors at the Weaverville Community Center (60 Lakeshore Dr.). Regular season vendors like Dillingham Family Farm, Lane in the Woods Farm and Creamery and The Pollina Project will be joined by craft, body care and artisan food vendors like Mudhouse Farms and Fog Creek Floral.
Need more options? Take a road trip this winter to visit a market you’ve never been to before elsewhere in the region.
To the south:
Columbus Winter Market: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., every first and third Saturday through April.
Saluda Winter Market: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., every second and fourth Saturday through April.
Rutherford County Winter Farmers Market, Rutherfordton: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., every first and third Saturday, except January which will happen on the third and fifth Saturday, through March.
To the west:
Jackson County Farmers Market, Sylva: Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., through March.
Transylvania County Farmers Market, Brevard: Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon, through April.
To the north:
King Street Farmers Market, Boone: Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., through March.
In South Carolina:
Hub City Farmers Market Winter Harvest, Spartanburg: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., every third Saturday through March.
The Toasty Farmer, Greenville: Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., through March.
In Tennessee:
Nourish Knoxville’s Winter Farmers’ Market: Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., through March.
In Virginia:
Abingdon Farmers’ Market: 10 a.m. to noon, every first and third Saturday through March.
Area farmers tailgate markets take place throughout the region. As always, you can find information about farms, tailgate markets, and farm stands, including locations and hours, by visiting ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org.