South of the James Market

What’s not to love?! This was only my 3^rd visit, but I can see already that I’m a lifer.
Flowers, veggies, herbs, wine, coffee, donuts, honey, soaps, meats, music, food trucks, unique crafts, one of a kind gifts, and then some… Oh and did I mention, you can bring your dog! Seriously, there’s something for everyone.
Local honey, local greens, natural dog treats, super nice folks and lessons on how to grow my own garden. These are just a few of the things that will keep bringing me back each week.
With the start of the summer kick off, some vendors were out of a few things by 10am, so roll out of bed and get their early for all the good stuff!
Parking can be a bit of a challenge, so if you can’t parallel park, consider getting there early also so you can find a space in the parking lot area.

The best farmer’s market! We love to go here with our two little kids on Saturday mornings and always make a stop at Mrs. Yoder’s food truck. It never disappoints and the line moves faster than you might think. In addition to fresh produce and meat, there are food trucks, coffee carts, jewelry, clothes, and sometimes wine, body care, and other vendors as well! There is usually someone playing the guitar with a blanket laid out for little kids (and the young at heart) to sit or dance. More recently, we’ve seen goats and their kids corralled for petting. Sometimes we go as early as 8 and sometimes closer to the end of the market and we’ve never had a problem with parking; they usually have attendants. We love that they are open year round, not just May-​October like many markets.

There is no better way to spend your Saturday than at the South of the James Market. The worst part is having to wait until Saturday to enjoy this great event.

Best Market all year round! Great product. Organic, Natural, Farm Food. Help local farmers survive.

This is your quintessential, straight out of a movie, everything you could possibly want Farmer’s Market.
First of all, it’s huge. But not so huge that you’re overwhelmed and feel like you could be there for hours. There’s a ton of variety in vendors and there is no shortage of local food and fare. Clothing, produce, eggs, meats, komboucha, jewlery, homeware, wine, and more!
It really is the perfect spot to spend a Saturday morning. I’d suggest getting there EARLY because parking can be an absolute nightmare. Or just walk or bike there if the weather is nice.
I love the variety of food and beverage trucks there as well. We always get our breakfast and coffee there when we go. Goatacado has a truck there along with Alchemy Coffee and some others that I haven’t ventured to quite yet.
Overall, what an amazing spot to spend a weekend morning. Oh, and there’s a ton of walking and biking trails all around the park if you’re looking to spend some time there!

Always love coming to the South of the James market. It’s a great place to come if you need a nice, local, one-​of-​a-​kind gift. The same vendors are reliably there, with a potpourri of newbies sprinkled in here and there. Definitely hit up the huge line for Yoder’s Donuts… worth it.

One of my favorite things in Richmond. If you’re in town on a Saturday morning, especially during the peak growing season (although it is open year-​round now,) don’t miss this. Bring your friendly dog along too.

Fun location where you can get your local goodies. A heaven for dogs!
This place can surely satisfy your hubgry belly and sweet tooth :)
We tried several food trucks including the bbq, donut, salad, and coffee stand. Their local homemade knitted scarfs were beautiful as well. A fun saturday morning Ctivity. Definitely a must go for tourists.

Best Farmer’s market in RVA.
Try to get there early so that hot ticket items (for those tomato lovers out there) don’t sell out early.
All the farmers and vendors work very hard and I’m glad that I can support them each Saturday. It’s a great event to take friends and family to when they’re visiting from out of town.
Also, you can find some of the best donuts at Yoder’s!

Came down to Richmond for a day trip from NoVA. This farmers market was the first stop on our list. One of the best farmer’s market’s I’ve been to in VA. The donuts, basically a homemade Krispy Kreme, melt in your mouth goodness. The bagel was awesome– have never had a ‘salad’ on my bagel before, but it was super good with Iced Coffee at the stand next door. Also got to try the brunswick stew, which was oh so creamy and good.
Picked up some white beets (very cool, I’ve never seen white ones before) and fresh kale, which we put in our cooler and brought back to NoVA to cook the next day.
Parking was a lot easier than expected– we parked in the residential area on the street– since we expected the lot to be packed.
Would definitely come back, the next time we’re in the area.

I am a fan of farmers’ markets on principle– I get riper produce, a warm fuzzy feeling from supporting smaller businesses, and a tiny bit of sun which is good since I need the vitamin D, let’s be honest. One of the absolute –best– aspects of this one in particular, is that it’s a year round market. During the cooler months, I’d say it probably rates four stars– there’s pretty decent variety, and there’s always something to buy that’s worth a little effort in the kitchen, but it won’t quite blow you away.
During the summer months… well, there’s a reason they have people directing traffic to try and make sure everyone can park and no one hits anyone. It’s crowded from the second it opens. I’ve arrived at 830 AM to already have people streaming past me to leave with their arms overflowing with their purchases. While I haven’t checked the numbers, the market feels about twice as big during the summer, especially with the addition of all the food trucks. Many of the vendors, obviously, are selling variants on the same theme, but there is still a wide variety– Orchard fruit, meats, greens, berries, preserved food, cheeses, pottery, jewelry… and it varies week to week. A month and a half ago, the whole place was –heavy– with the smell of sun-​warmed strawberries. This visit, there were tomatoes of all kinds and sizes to be had. Wee colorful things, striped plum tomatoes, purple Cherokees and the giant deep red heirlooms I refer to as ‘ugly tomatoes’ [I bought One, it was a solid pound and a half of exquisite tomato]. You don’t even have to bring cash, though it’s highly recommended– a lot of the vendors have Square, though there is likely to be a minimum purchase [usually about 5 $].
My only caution– The location is in a park, and is incredibly dog-​friendly, which people take full advantage of. I have never seen a single one of them misbehave, but if you are afraid of dogs, do not attend without something to keep you feeling calmer because there are a lot of woofs present, in all sizes.

A quick update, you’re missing the best Farmer’s Market around if you haven’t been there. How’s that sports fans… ;-))

I’ve been meaning to go to the market for years and I finally made the plunge yesterday. I would absolutely say that you need to go early. I went at 8am and I could only imagine the crowds at 10 or 11. I obviously went to try Mrs. Yoder’s donuts, which were great, just no Sugar Shack. I also tried the kombucha and the juice stands. The kombucha was totally «meh,» it didn’t have the tang that you’d expect from the drink. The juice was by far the best I have ever tried! As for the other vendors, everything else was too hippy dippy for me. I’m not into overpriced produce and artisan goods, so I breezed by those. I’m happy I went to the market, but I can’t see myself ever going back.

Went here this past weekend with a friend and definitely enjoyed it. Lots of local businesses, farmers, and artists selling their wares. Didn’t buy any produce this time but what was there looked great and fresh. Dog friendly, for anyone wondering. You can pretty much buy everything to make a meal here.

Definitely the biggest farmer’s market in RVA with a wide array of local purveyors. Lots of grass fed and organic food options and artisanal products. Good stuff! Love buying local.

My bestie in Richmond took me to South of the James Market last Saturday morning. We caught the tail end and had 30 minutes to zip through. I was excited to see organic fruits and veggies being sold, and all kinds of soaps. I loved how this place was dog friendly! We were hungry, so we scoped out the food trucks. Sadly, the kombucha stand, King of Pop (popsicles) and Goatacaco closed/​sold out. We bought a doughnut from Mrs. Yoder’s, and it was the best! Southern Charm BBQ’s owner was definitely a charming, southern gentleman. I bought a bucket of pulled pork bbq w/​a mustard/​vinegar sauce, slaw and macaroni and cheese for lunch. I’d love to come back soon, as this is the best farmer’s market I’ve visited!

TL;DR (too long; didn’t read): BEST doughnuts in Richmond
I’m not a morning person, especially on the weekends. It’s nearly impossible to get me out of bed if it’s before noon. Nevertheless, if you tempt me with the doughnuts from Mrs. Yoders, I’ll be up and ready by 6 am.
These are the ideal doughnuts. They are fluffy, light and perfectly glazed with sugary goodness to satisfy the sweet tooth of any doughnut lover. These doughnuts are textually interesting since they have a bite or chew to them. At only 2 dollars a doughnut, they are one of the biggest steals at the farmers market. The line is always long, but well worth the wait.
A bagel with the works on the opposing side of the farmer’s market is also worth mentioning. The works consist of a choice from a variety of cream cheeses, onions (which I always avoid), capers, tomatoes and microgreens. I was a bit weary about the capers but it adds a nice briny flavor to the bagel. The line for these bagels are usually quite long but again, well worth the wait.

After a good workout and well… since I have to pass Forest Hill exit on my way home from my workout… Why not stop by SotJM, park my car, walk (burn more calories) and you know… stand in the long, but pretty fast moving line (burning more calories) and get me a bite, two, or three of some Mrs. Yoder’s donuts. After tasting those yum yums I’ll walk around, carrying my box of more yum yums to come, walk around, and smell the other, probably more healthy food in the air. Maybe hang around and try some. Then exercise walk my way back to my car for some Saturday chillaxation and a few more donuts.

I knew I was getting into something good with this market because the first time I went (which happened to be in the middle of the summer) the parking lot was full and even the on-​street parallel parking was backed up a few blocks. As I made my way to the edge of Forest Hill Park, I rounded the parking lot to see over 100 vendors! I was also greeted by wonderful bluegrass style music by someone picking a guitar, which really added to the ambiance.
There’s lots of fresh, local veggie and fruit options, cheese, yogurt, meats, and crafts (like bead necklaces, homemade candles, and soaps). It’s also a great place to get a breakfast or lunch. There’s usually falafels & hummus, bbq pork, breakfast sandwiches with sausage and biscuits, new brunswick stew, and don’t forget the food trucks!
I have to start with the best: Mrs. Yoder’s Donuts, which are by far the best donuts I have ever tasted! There’s also fresh coffee, bagels, Goatocado, and crepes. In the winter-​time, there was a vendor selling hot, spicy mulled cider– YUM!

Get your butt out of bed and head down to this market! This market tucked away in Forest Hill Park opens at 8am and by 10am, vendors are already selling out. This is the most impressive farmer’s market I have been to and the vendors are packed in. From fresh fruits and veggies to duck confit tacos and doughnuts, you can find a little bit of everything you need here. I really enjoy coming here during the beginning of Spring or Fall, when the weather is just right to mosey around and explore for a while. I’ve tried to go several times this Summer but the sun can be unforgiving. Bring cash as some of the vendors [such as Mrs. Yoder’s doughnuts] only accept that, but many also accept credit card which makes it very convenient. The market is rain or shine and you can always check their website to find updates on events and vendors.
So all you really need to know is that this market is AWESOME!