I was in downtown Springfield for a meeting. When I arrived in our capitol of the state of Illinois…read moreby train, I noticed all the pop-up canopies and busy foot traffic. So when I arrived at the Amtrak station, I asked one of the helpful agents, what I had just seen. He informed me that it was the mid-week farmers market. When I was done with my very short meeting, I took off to explore this delightful little market. It was only about two blocks long, but it had an amazing assortment of vendors. Traveling by train for the day, I was limited to what I could buy, If I lived local, I would have had shopping bags full. I did buy some scones from one bakery, for a snack later in the day and for my breakfast the next morning. Again, if I were local, I would have bought some fresh vegetables, homemade sausage, fresh flowers and so much more. The vendors that I spoke with were good ole country friendly and I could sense their passion in the products they were offering. In addition to the vendors, a local radio station was broadcasting live outside one of the near-by restaurants. Music to shop by is always a nice touch. As i left the market, I wandered in a different direction then when I arrived and stumble upon a sign alerting parkers not to utilize a lot on Friday night and Saturday. Why? It's saved for the Saturday, Farmers Market. So, I can only imagine the Farmer's Market on Saturday must be BIGGER and BETTER. When: June 23, 2021 Why: In town for meeting - out exploring downtown

I love the Farmers Market downtown. I enjoy visiting all the vendors. I have purchased great…read moreSourdough Bread, farm raised meats, all types of produce, great coffee, and The Brats that are sold by Sean the vender on Adams at 3rd are great, I have attended Wednesday Market which is only one block and Saturday market which is 4 blocks total. I highly recommend going down there and supporting our local businesses.

Customer for over 30 years. There are other garden centers here in Decatur of course. I return here…read moreevery year as I have grown to know the employees who work there every season. I read one of the older reviews about the person who felt racially alienated by one of the owners. There are only two people who own the business that I know of. One is male and one is female. If the lady followed you around did you think she may have been wondering what it was that you were looking for to help you? I doubt anything else was going on. These are down to earth good hearted salt of the earth people. They have a beautiful assortment of the best plants around here. They do a great business there, why? They couldn't be in business THIS LONG if they treated people poorly, ANY PEOPLE. I've seen ALL kinds of people in there over the years. I LOVE going to the garden center every year. I often go multiple times during the growing season ( April thru September) and probably spend more than I should, but gardening is my passion as one of the other reviews mentioned. The plants are very healthy with an abundant variety. They take great care of them while they are at the nursery. I feel like a kid in a candy store when I get there. I sometimes can spend an entire afternoon there planning what I want to put in my flower pots for the current season and what new attraction I can add to "MY" sanctuary in my little patch of land at home. Know that they also have a whole section dedicated to pots, statues and ornamental figures that you WILL NOT find anywhere in town. I am adding my second LARGE statue this year. You can call it my birthday gift to myself. I simply can't wait to get it home. Be warned! These are truly concrete and need special handling and transport to bring them home but gosh, they are worth it! Happy Gardening! PS: Yes! I too remember when they sold fruits and vegetables and as a much smaller variety of plants. I would go there just to get the fresh produce! What a great trip down memory lane!

I love this place! We live on a 5 acre farm and gardening is my passion. I buy plants from many…read morenurseries. From Arthur, Mattoon, Shelbyville, Sullivan, and Decatur. Farmer's Market is always a favorite. They have such a great variety. Their plants are always beautiful and healthy. They're also good to work with. If there's something you're looking for they will try to get it. I highly recommend them.

Fresh veggies! Fresh…read morecooked pretzels! Hot tamales! Sweets! People are all friendly! Great prices!

Peoria Riverfront Market operates on Saturdays mid May through September right along the Illinois…read moreriver on Water Street across from the museum. You will find local produce, meats, coffee, baked goods, jewelry, antiques and more, all in pop up booths. Parking and entry is free. Be aware you may need to park a distance away and walk. The market is dog friendly, and several of the vendors put out water dishes for the dogs. Great stop for a bit of exercise and local support on Saturdays.

The farmers market never gets old. It's great to check out all the local vendors and help out…read moreindividuals and families rather than giant corporations. Some weeks have a theme (e.g. dog day), so be sure to check out their Facebook page. The Bloomington PD are usually in attendance handing out stickers to kids and having a good time. One week, the market made a dish incorporating many vendors' products (Filipino Pancit) and was handing it our for free. Some vendors have free samples for you to try (shout out to Huelskoetter Farms and Joe Joe's house dressing). And there's live musician or band is usually playing in the town sqaure. Some vendors sell out early on a weekly basis, so it may be worth going early to see all the products and produce available. Plus, you're by all the small shops and stores in Downtown Bloomington (e.g. Coffee hound, Ivy Lane Bakery, Common Ground grocery, etc). Furthermore, parking is sually a breeze. You can sometimes find street parking, but there's also the parking garage that's a 2-5 minute walk to the heart of the action. The Farmers Market is worth a visit, and may even become a weekly tradition for you and your family.

This is one of my favorite farmer's markets. We come here whenever we are in town on a Saturday…read moremorning. There are so many local, fresh offerings!! Parking is easy. We've never parked more than a block or two away. My favorites are the breakfast sausage, honey and produce vendors. They also have fresh flowers, beef, eggs and breads and pastries. Everyone has bags, but if you are buying from multiple vendors, do your wrists a favor and bring a shoulder grocery bag. They sometimes have a band for entertainment.

I began my relationship with PrairiErth Farm at the Downtown Bloomington Farmer's Market. From the…read morestart, I could tell that they really care about the food they produce and their customers' well being. Hans, Katie, and Dave are experienced and well read farmers. They are what the modern farmer should be...a good steward of the land and not a factory operation. What brought me to PrairiErth Farm was my desire to buy and eat lean, organic, grass-fed beef...which they have and it is awesome. You can taste the difference in quality compared to the "big-box" stores. I know what is, and more importantly, what is not in the beef that I buy from PrairiErth Farm. I like to tell people that you can take a drive out to Atlanta and practically meet the cow you're going to eat. If you want to save some money in the long run, buying in bulk is the way to go. We chose to buy a quarter cow to fill our deep freeze and that was a good volume of meat for a family of 2 adults and one toddler. If you've never done anything like that before (like us), Dave makes the process easy. I was part of their first Crop Share Association and was very pleased with the selection and quality of the veggies that I received every week. I'm happy to be back for year two. The bottom line: Awesome people, high quality meat and veggies. I highly recommend them.

This is were I get all my fresh veg. They have thhe most beautiful farm stand at the downntown…read moreBloomington's farmers market. Everyone is so knowledgeable and friendly.