Stone fruits, such as cherries, are some of the early seasonal produce that people can find at the Magnolia Neighborhood Farmers Market this summer. This year’s Magnolia Farmers Market season opens June 3.
Summertime fun will kick off in Magnolia the first weekend in June, when the Magnolia Neighborhood Farmers Market season opens.
Sarah Cohn, Magnolia market manager and programming specialist, said this year’s market features more of everything, from farmers, food artisans and other vendors, to activities.
This year, the farmers market will feature about 40 vendors, which is 10 more than last year, with more variety of produce and food items for which people can shop.
“I think this season it’s going to be a really full market with a lot of different foods and products to choose from, which I’m really excited about,” Cohn said.
The Magnolia Neighborhood Farmers Market takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, June 3 through Oct. 14, on West McGraw between 32nd and 33rd avenues West in Magnolia Village. The market does not take place the Saturday of Magnolia’s Summerfest, Aug. 5, during Seafair weekend.
As in previous years, a harvest market it slated from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 18.
“It’s sort of the end of the harvest-season bounty, and it’s also the weekend before Thanksgiving, so it’s also a good time to do your Thanksgiving shopping,” Cohn said.
Cohn said she expects this year’s market to be even busier than the last few seasons. Seattle’s Neighborhood Farmers Markets organization, which operates eight of the farmers market in the city, had to cancel Magnolia’s market in 2020 because of COVID, but the market has been slowly returning to pre-pandemic popularity and numbers. Last year was the market’s strongest year, but Cohn expects this one to be even better.
“We’re expecting it to be really bustling and full of the product people like to find at the market every year,” Cohn said.
She said last year, because of a wet spring, some of the early summer seasonal produce, such as berries and stone fruit, was late to arrive at the market, but it doesn’t look like that will be a problem this season. Still, Cohn encouraged people to make repeat trips to the market in case their favored items aren’t available on the first visit.
“We try to encourage people to come back in July or August because the market really fills up a lot,” she said.
Among the new vendors Cohn said she is excited about is Glendale Shepherd Farms, from Whidby Island, which specializes in sheep’s milk cheeses, yogurt and lamb product.
“They’re yogurt is probably one of my favorite foods I’ve ever eaten,” she said. “It’s just really exceptional.”
Cohn said another new vendor is Loki Fish company, a small Alaskan fisher operation, which also sells at Fishermen’s Terminal.
She said she also is excited to welcome Caffe Clutch, a German bakery from north Seattle that sells pretzels, breads, pastries and more.
“I really want the market to be a place where people can shop for their groceries and buy their produce, bread and cheese and pickles for the week and get those basics,” Cohn said. “I think that this will be very doable this year with the produce that we have.”
Cohn said it is important for people to note that people can use food assistance program benefits at the market. People who use SNAP will even receive an amount match from the market to buy even more produce.
Lastly, Cohn said the markets also will feature a variety of activities for people to enjoy, including zucchini races one week later in the summer, and tasting or cooking demonstrations.
For more information about the market, go to seattlefarmersmarkets.org/mfm.
Magnolia Neighborhood Farmers Market schedule
June 3: Opening day
June 17: Seasonal tasting or cooking demo (TBD)
July 15: Cherry tasting
July 22: Seasonal tasting or cooking demo (TBD)
July 29: Seasonal tasting or cooking demo (TBD)
Aug. 5: No Market (Magnolia Summerfest)
Aug. 12: Farmers Market Week
Aug. 19: Zucchini races and seasonal tasting or cooking demo (Zucchini)
Sept. 2: Back-to-school activities
Sept. 9: Food access tour and back-to-school activities
Sept. 16: Seasonal tasting or cooking demo and back-to-school activities
Sept. 23: Back-to-school activities
Sept. 30: Back-to-school activities
Oct. 7: Seasonal tasting or cooking demo (TBD)
Oct. 14: Closing day
Nov. 18: Harvest Market and seasonal tasting or cooking demo (TBD)