Columbia Pike Farmers Market

A rather diminutive Sunday morning market (opens at 9) with a disappointing selection of stalls and little community atmosphere. Yet, big props to the farmers who cart their stalls out because without them residents options would be limited to industrially produced, chemically laced, antibiotic-​injected garbage. So yes! to Smith meats for coming out with their grass-​fed real meats and for braving the small but loyal crowd at the Rite Aid parking lot on Columbia Pike. It’s obvious that people are buying because they really want to eat better and be healthier. You are after all, what you eat.

We just moved to Columbia Pike and discovered this little gem of a farmer’s market. It is located right in front of the rite aid so it’s very convenient for us.
As most of the other reviewers noted, it is on the smaller side. However all the vendors were nice, it’s dog friendly (a big plus for me), and has a good selection.
I arrived late in the day so I missed out on the eggs sadly. I got some produce that looked good (onions, zucchini, and sweet potatoes) since I am all about supporting local businesses. Also picked up some bacon for breakfast this week.
Note that some of the vendors only accept cash so come prepared. Overall I can’t wait to come back here every weekend for my grocery shopping! I hope to catch some of their fresh eggs next time.

I live close to this market and I come here every week. As others have commented, it’s on the smaller side, but it’s convenient and, in my opinion, has a great selection relative to its size.
I particularly like the availability of a nice variety of meats from Smith Meadows and the mix of other more niche vendors (acme pies — they have gluten free varieties! — and No. 1 Sons pickles). If there was creamery milk available, I’d be thrilled.
The market does run all year, which is very nice, though there are fewer vendors between Thanksgiving and early spring.
I give it four stars rather than five because there’s been some recent turnover in vendors.

Not the biggest farmer’s market in the area, but certainly the most convenient for me since it is located along Columbia Pike and is accessible by bus, which is nice since parking can be a pain. This market is only open on Sundays and sets up in the lot in front of the Rite Aid.
Most of the farms are from MD and PA, but there are some VA farms represented. There is usually a good selection of seasonal produce such as corn, assorted squash, and varieties of heirloom tomatoes. The past summer has been really good for new fruit as I tried the «Blondee apple» (
). The stand I got the Blondee at said it had the texture of a Gala apple, but was more crisp and had some Vanilla notes. Sure enough, the apple had some very subtle Vanilla hints and was not overly sweet. I need to stock up since Apple season will be over by October.
It won’t take more than 20 – 30 minutes to visit all the stalls at the Columbia Pike Farmer’s Market, which is fine with me. If I want to spend more time perusing, I’ll trek into DC and spend a morning at Eastern Market. Otherwise, my $ 20 usually gets me several bags of local produce and lasts me a week.
Super bonus tip: The Columbia Pike Farmer’s Market will be open until December 2014 this year:

Could I have been anywhere else other than here? YES but I chose this weekend to look at the Arlington Farmer’s Markets for a change – My tip is «Veggies don’t look too great — but I will give it one more try»
This market is very small and doesn’t offer much but it is close if you live in Arlington and you don’t have to travel into the major Markets of DC or Old Town Alexandria if you just need a few veggies. With that being said, the selection didn’t look too great in this Unilocaler’s opinion. I am all about supporting the local economy and the local farmers but only – let me say that again – ONLY if the products are quality and fresh. These are fresh but didn’t look to be that great. I will give it another go but Old Town Alexandria or Dupont by far has a better selection and better quality!
The Good: Location?
The BAD: Poor Quality
The Ugly: The Veggies

This is a very small farmer’s market, but it’s so conveniently located on the Pike (I can walk 10 minutes to get here). It’s on Sundays from 9 – 1, though a couple vendors might start packing up earlier than 1 or run out of goodies before then.
Smith Meadows has great meats and a couple selections of pasta, though expensive. My husband and I get meats from them as special occasions.
There is a local pie vendor who makes pricey pies. We bought a Nutella hazelnut pie for $ 14 at medium size, but it was very rich and delicious.
I haven’t seen TeaCo there in awhile, but they’ll usually sell great blends of teas.
Make sure to bring your own bag and some cash, though many of the vendors are utilizing square now.

Per usual, I’m a fan of everything local. This market is small and lacking in anything particularly gourmet, but I’ve always found my produce to be fresh and tasty. There are multiple produce vendors, but usually only one artisan for each type of good (soap, salsa, cheese, etc.). My favorite part is Shaffer’s BBQ Palace, a delicious BBQ truck. It gets crowded early, so you’ve been warned.

This is a great farmers market, not usually as busy as Courthouse and a great selection of vendors (although nothing in comparison to the Falls Church City one). Just remember parking stinks.

I have to agree with Lee N. on everything he says. I’ve been to loads of farmer’s markets all over the US and in Europe. Though I can hardly compare the one on Columbia Pike to many of the rest, I will say I feel that the vendors do have a lacking of good produce. It doesn’t compare to even the similar size one I would go to in St. Louis that was up the street from where I live. Despite the size of the market itself, people still brought the good stuff.
At best, I’d say it is mediocre and would find it better to take my money elsewhere despite its convenient location to my home. I would be willing to drive a couple of extra miles knowing I am getting something better versus the stuff that ‘fell off the back of the truck’ per se.
What I can say that I like about this market is they have a good mix of vendors here. They have people selling homemade soaps, jewelry, salsas which I bought, jellies, and of course your typical fruit, veggie, and meats. They have a limited supply of all items, so make sure to get here early enough to get what they have in stock. Usually by 11:00am some of the best quality items are gone.

I’ve been coming to this market for years, and it has treated me so kindly. I now buy my eggs from here and even my soap (insert Fight Club reference here). I’ve also become acquainted with Zelda’s NoVa Soul kitchen who has a stand here. Their mac n cheese and chicken salad are unbelievably awesome. There’s even a bread stand where you can buy some of the most delicious bread I’ve ever come across.
As the neighborhood grows, I believe so will this market, and I will keep on coming back. Reusable bags and all.

Very nice farmer’s market, where you can pretty much find anything you need. Produce was amazing, tasty, and fresh. I especially liked the fruit that we purchased. Even the broccoli we got was sweet! I would say things are on the more expensive side, but I rather get direct from the farmer, so worth it!

This annual event is a very good time. The music is excellent and the crowd is lively. There’s plenty of food and drink for sale, plus a few charities and general vendors. The crowd builds as the day goes on, but never seemed to get too crowded to move or for small groups to easily find places to sit if they wanted. Lots of folk bring their dogs or kids — this is great but just be aware of their presence as you move around.

This is a small farmer’s market, but it’s perfect for my needs. I go nearly every weekend to stock up on fresh produce. There are about 4 – 5 produce vendors and I can always find everything I need or want, from peaches to unique melons and squash, to giant bunches of basil and the best tomatoes. Toigo Orchards is one of my favorite vendors, and they even have quinces in the fall — so difficult to find usually!
There’s a baked goods vendor, a meat seller, coffee and tea, pickles, and a few other things. Parking is easy, dogs are allowed, and there’s an ATM right inside the Rite Aid. I especially love the convenient hours and that it’s open on Sundays.

I love our farmers market! It is walking distance from my home so that doesn’t hurt.
If you are looking for a very big selection, you might be better off At DuPont’s farmers market
If there is something I really want I plan on being there early. If not, I wander by whenever and enjoy. Lots of times, there will be live acoustic music which makes the whole experience delightful!

I want to like this market better because there isn’t much on the Pike and it’s walking distance from my home. Many of the vendors are good and provide quality products, and market organizers probably do the best with the small space they have.
Yet I’ve noticed something peculiar: some of the vendors run out of product very early in the day — especially the main meat vendors. I’ve queried them about this, and they’ve said they save their best produce for the DuPont and Arlington Farmer’s Markets. So, not only is this a small market, but the vendors don’t bring enough and save their best for elsewhere.
I’ve complained to the people who organize this, but they say they can’t force vendors to bring more stuff to sell.
That’s my only real complaint. If you want basic farmer’s market stuff (meat, eggs, bread, veggies, etc.) and can get here early in the day, it’s fine. If you want 10 different kinds of mushrooms and fresh-​cut flowers, check out Arlington Farmer’s Market in Courthouse.

Yes, please and more, thank you. Great blend of vendors showing up here, this is what a real farmer’s market is about. Honestly, there are so many markets in NoVa where there are 3 vendors with huge spreads, but when you get down to it, all they are selling are peaches, apples and tomatoes. lame.
I really shouldn’t even be reviewing this market because it’s already packed, even early morning, and I don’t want yet more people to know about it. But I guess you gotta give props to a market that is a real substitute for any grocery shopping you might need to do.

This is a relatively small market set up next to the Rite Aid parking lot at Walter Reed and Columbia Pike. It runs on Sundays from 9 – 1. There are usually musicians playing, and I’ve seen dogs there, so I think it’s dog friendly (Courthouse FM is not).
What’s there:
Pleasant Pops
Smith Meadows meat vendor (We got our Thanksgiving turkey from them which was delicious but a little pricey. I’ve also had pork shoulder and beef short ribs from them, which were excellent.)
3 or 4 vendors with veggies and fruit
a soap vendor
a bread vendor
a pastry vendor
a coffee vendor (Hondo, I believe)
a flower and herb vendor (I bought basil and sage plants from them and they’re doing great.)
But, the best thing I discovered this weekend: there is a Trickling Springs Creamery vendor with milk, eggs, and ice cream! If you’ve never had their products, TS milk and ice cream are simply amazing (even the nonfat milk tastes like you’re drinking fatty, creamy goodness). The pints of ice cream were very well-​priced, about $ 2 less than what I’ve paid at specialty shops. My husband stopped me from buying the entire cooler.
I usually shop at at the Courthouse FM on Saturdays, but suddenly the Col Pike FM just got more appealing.

My family has been a frequent visitor to the Columbia Pike farmers market since 2002. Where does 8 years go?
Anyways it is a nice gathering of growers who sell various items. I love to buy tomatoes from here and the soap dude is awesome! People come and play instruments sometimes and on a mild summer day it is a nice place to hang out and look at things. If TEaCo is there buy their tea it is awesome they have one called Pink Lemonade and it is insane! Take that Teavana! I wouldn’t mind setting up shope here for something small. Then perhaps I can hear people talk smack about me!
IT is convenient since it is on sunday mornings and there is no work! Annandale, Ballston, Crystal City: Hard to find parking during rush hour or at 12 p.m. on a workday. Don’t just cater to the stay-​at-​home moms and dads. Cater to everyone!
C.Pike Farmers Market fo’ life!

3.5. It’s not a huge market and is completely anemic in the winter. (I actually went to check it out after one of the major snowstorms this year, and there were 4 poor vendors, braving the cold. Had to help my fellow man out, bought some goods). However, when summer hits, they’ve got some great produce. Not a lot of selection, but at least there’s representation from most of the major food types. And recently, I’ve seen a pickle vendor (but I wasn’t a fan. Not their fault, I have a preference for japanese style pickles).
There is a guy there who sells fantastic arugula, really peppery, great taste, better than anything I’ve bought at the supermarket (Whole Foods or otherwise). Priced at $ 3 a bag, it wasn’t cheap, but still affordable. I’ve also bought stuff from the dairy guy, and liked what I got. I think in general, the quality of the vendors here are really good, and something that the Columbia Pike area benefits from. And it’s great that it doesn’t get too crowded and you can actually look at the produce and buy without too much hassle.
I conclude my review with a quick story. I overhead a customer asking one of the vendors what kohlrabi is and how to cook it. She said she had never cooked with it but heard that it tasted like cabbage. Now I have to say, as a farmer, wouldn’t try everything you grow at least once? Otherwise, how would you know whether you’re growing the best version of the product you can? At the very least, it helps you to sell to your customers if you know what to do with it. It was kind of weird, but I still bought some kale from her. :P And she did say she was going to go home and try to cook it.

This pretty decent farmers market operates Sundays May through November, 9 am to 1 pm. Bigger than Clarendon, smaller than Courthouse. Gets crowded later in the day. It’s got all the usual farmers market things like fruit veg meat bread coffee cider and soap man has good homemade soap in funky flavors. Usually there’s a musician, maybe some politicians.
Last week we spoke to the Milk Guy who is new this year and found out he has a small herd of grass fed cows and doesn’t use hormones … the milk tastes good, too. Prolly a little more expensive than you are used to, but if you’ve ever seen a factory diary farm — you’ll know why it might be better to support a local small scale diary farmer.
Need inspiration? See these tantalizing photos of the market