downtown farmers market

I enjoyed this farmer's market so much! On each street there is a different type of entertainment. Wonderful atmosphere, friendly people. Lots of things to see/shop for!

This is probably the coolest farmers market ever! It is very large, covering a few square blocks of downtown Des Moines. There is so much to see, from prepared food to groceries to live entertainment. Wait, I forgot about the fresh cut flowers and home made clothes and soaps! Oh yeah, there are crafts and décor too! Absolutely fabulous. Only drawback: parking. Go early and find a spot!

I typically buy my groceries at the store and was less than thrilled about going to the Farmers' Market. I was WRONG! It is amazing. There truly is something for everyone---ready-to-eat foods, ingredients (i.e. honey, fruit, veggies), flowers, crafts, decor, clothes, live music, etc, etc. The crafts/decor aren't hokey. There are some unusual foods you won't see at the grocery store and some fun ready-to-eat foods like jackfruit smoothies. I'd budget around 2 hours to see everything at a leisurely pace. Go when you're hungry! MOBILITY ACCESSIBILITY: The market IS wheelchair accessible. They shut off several city streets so both the streets and the sidewalks are accessible. Downsides: Obviously there are lots of people AND vendors aren't always the most careful to be only on the street or only on the sidewalk but it is MOSTLY accessible for those in wheelchairs).

I've been to some fabulous farmers' markets. I truthfully didn't think this one would even come close to the one at the Capitol in Madison, WI. But I was wrong! I dare say it was a little bit better!? There were so many booths and so many great things to choose from. It was crowded, but not too terrible to move around in. (Plus, dogs are allowed - I love that!) The weather was even a little iffy (although it never did rain), but that didn't stop the people from showing up. I think my favorite part was how all the businesses (restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc.) get involved and open their doors to the crowds with special things going on. My only regret was that I had flown to Des Moines to visit friends, so I simply could not purchase all I wanted to bring back with me. It was a wonderful experience and I would definitely visit again!

Recently the Dsm Farmers Market was rated #2 Farmers Market behind Pike Place Market in Seattle. I prefer the Dsm Farmers Market by far!!The Dsm Farmers Market is about 12 city blocks transformed on Saturday Morning into a wide variety and selection of vendors. All sorts for prepared ethnic foods (yes even in Iowa), fresh vegetables and fruits from local farmers, home style breads, pies, salsa, etc. You will find street musicians on every corner, local vineyards (yes grapes are grown and wine is made in Iowa too) with wine tasting! A few crap vendors....oops I mean craft vendors, but not too many. Plan to spend a couple of hours just to wander through and enjoy.

This was like nothing I had seen! First and foremost, it is nicely spaced - the booths line the streets so there is the whole space of the street to walk - the booths are not crammed tightly together. Secondly, the food booths offered a great variety - we had breakfast pizza, and Dutch letters! But there was Chinese, Bosnian and breakfast burritos (other choices I am sure I just didn't see). I hope to have an excuse to go back again soon!

This is one of the best farmer's markets ever!! Whenever I visit, this is always one of the things on my must do list. Have a bloody mary at Johnny's Hall of Fame and people watch while sitting outside. Then start perusing the fruit stands, bakeries, artists and many live bands. Make sure to get a dutch letter pastry, it is in the shape of an S, it is flaky with an almond paste filling in the center, yum. Parking is free. The fun starts at 7 am until noon on Saturdays. There are lots of samples given out as well. The kids loved the ballon man, they even had him make me a fascinator to wear, and wear it I did! My nephews made me the belle of the farmer's market.

Only had an hour to spend here but saw so much variety. Beginning of August so the plant vendors were there. Largest hibiscus I've ever seen. Lots of produce and food: bar-b-que, corn on the cob, vegan, oriental, you name it. Great people watching, young fellas playing music, and kids stopping to pet the dogs (there are a lot of them). Beautiful way to spend a Saturday morning.

This is the biggest and best farmers market I have ever been to! Not only was there live entertainment (bands, acoustic musicians) on every block, but there was booth upon booth of yummy-ness! Lots of fresh veggies as well as home-made treats! There were also many booths that were selling clothing, jewelry, wood crafts. My only complaint is that it closes down at 12 noon. Another hour or two would have been so much better for me. As a visitor to Des Moines, I didn't get enough time to explore all the various booths.

The variety of vendors, food and goods is great. Multiple streets and blocks are blocked off downtown. Loved it.

There is a reason why this has been rated by several media sources as a not to miss event! Occurring weekly from late Spring to late fall(with a few indoor Saturdays for Christmas Season Markets), the downtown Farmers market has all types of wares in a large marketplace atmosphere. Based primarily along Court Avenue, and encompassing may side streets full of vendors. Local produce(much of it organic), wonderful baked goods, Fresh,organic meats(including beef, pork chicken, exotic, including flax fed, cured, range fed,free range,etc).Eggs including quail, & duck, as well as the more mundane organic chicken eggs are very reasonable. Cheeses by area artisans can be sampled(dare you to not buy a wedge to take home!),Wonderful baked goods, Ethnic foods from the many cultures that have come to be a part of the Des Moines metro(Amish, Mennonite, Thai, Indonesian, Salvadore, Bosnian, Asian, Dutch, Greek,, Indian,African...) Iowa Vintners, Apiarists,Mushroom farmers, and misc. growers are there as well, introducing their products to the masses. You can see garden sculptures, clothing, jewelry, household items of unbelievably talented individuals as well as some very nice items that could(and do) hold their own in area art shows. Something for every one, bee it honey, sweet corn, tye dyed apparel,lattes, pupusas, Designer Christmas cookies,fresh, rich duck eggs for that special omelet or seasonal items, etc.Take your well behaved dog(on a leash of course, preferably not a flexi lead), (My Spinoni Italiano are always a big hit). Great place for socialization, and education for the public. Its a great way to teach your children as they see a dog,to ask if they can pet, and then have the good experience of a well trained dog. Make a weekend of it and Celebrate Des Moines!

The biggest market I have ever been to. It has everything. Very crowded if you cant find it there !!Brew pub right there was a good resting place

This is a big farmers market with lots of fresh produce, wine, baked goods, crafts and hot food. Oh, and music, too - almost on every corner. Found some sweet corn, cucumbers, and green, purple, and yellow beans on this visit. Wish we lived closer so we could come back often!

I biked to the farmers market this past weekend. This is my first visit for this year, it is great to have free secure bike parking out of the rain. The market was bigger the ever and was very crowed (but that is a good thing). This definitely worth the visit and a great bike ride destination.

This is a large street market with musical entertainment, plenty of ready-to-eat food, crafts, and of course farm produce. I sometimes get claustrophobic in crowds but managed just fine. Tip: bring a bottle of water and wear sunscreen.