Fruits and vegetables interrupted a recent press conference to share the news with West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James that the West Palm Beach GreenMarket was named the “Best Farmers Market” in the U.S. for the second consecutive year.
Photo by City of West Palm Beach
The West Palm Beach GreenMarket has been voted the nation’s best farmers market by readers of USA Today’s 10Best for the second consecutive year. The market is open Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through April 16.
The GreenMarket topped markets in big cities such as Honolulu, San Antonio and St. Paul, Minnesota, in part because of the rigorous application process vendors must go through to set up shop, ensuring that customers see only high-quality products.
The GreenMarket also allows a limited percentage of vendors to sell the same type of products, preventing a few types of merchandise from dominating the market. Customers are guaranteed a wide variety of goods and services.
Then-Mayor Nancy Graham opened the GreenMarket in 1995. Graham admired the friendly public market culture in Europe, where, in her experience, vendors knew their customers by name and freely answered questions about their products. The GreenMarket’s aim was to integrate those aspects of a European farmers market into the streets of Florida.
The beauty of a typical farmers market, apart from the friendly atmosphere, is found in locally grown produce and homemade goods. The West Palm Beach GreenMarket offers items from bee and butterfly houses to spreads and spices. You can find furniture, sculptures, paintings, snacks, toys for kids and treats for pets.
The kid-friendly and pet-friendly GreenMarket is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays from October to April. Reviews have called it a perfect place for a weekend stroll, a wonderful people-watching and dog-watching spot, and a relaxing, inviting location.
From its picnic-perfect lawns to its live music, the West Palm Beach GreenMarket has earned its reputation as the No. 1 farmers market in the nation.
