Stumbled on this while meeting friends for lunch nearby. Nice variety of vendors- I don't need fresh veggies at the moment since the garden is going strong, but there were lots of interesting things available. Coffee, gifts, etc.- lots of other things. A few food trucks, and I stopped by one since I was still kinda hungry after a small burger at lunch. Definitely worth going; check their hours first. read more

Pearl Market's usual location has some construction going on, but thanks to some good signage, we found it one block over. There was a dj playing some music, and a nice variety of stands, including several for produce, a bakery, dog products, flowers, honey, and more! It's not huge, and we easily walked back and forth through the market quickly. We ended up with some delicious sweet peaches (they had both yellow and white on offer), a really nice loaf of cinnamon chip bread, and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. Good stop if you're in the area on a Tuesday or Friday! read more

A few blocks of downtown Columbus, dozens of vendors, Little whole in the wall stores, definitely not to be missed. Local honey, pastries, herbs, aromatics, food vendors, Art on the wall, just a fun place to explore. read more

Pearl Market - Out And about - Farmers Market Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Farmer's market right across the street from my hotel?! Eff Yes! Friday afternoon while waiting for the fam to get ready, I decided to mosey on over to the farmer's market in the alley. I know it sounds kinda shady, but bear with me... They've got locally made jewelery, crafts, and textiles. Plus the usual suspects: fresh, locally grown fruits and veggies, and a good selection of local organic dairy. However since I was headed back to the other side of the country I really wasn't in the market(literally) for any of that stuff. What I came for was the food vendors, and the choices were many! Tilapia po' boy sandwich with a side of hush puppies(from Say Cheez!)? Um... sure! Delicious. Now where's dessert?! Fresh peach cobbler from New Orleans Pralines, washed down with soft serve ice cream made from grass-fed organic milk from Meadow Maid. I've died and gone to heaven floating on locally grown clouds, surrounded by angels playing locally made harps! Bottom Line: If I worked in downtown Columbus, my Friday lunch hour would be spent here every week. Probably my Tuesday lunch hour too! read more

This is a cute little market, that pops up on Tuesday and Fridays. I love the plant shops, and the kettle corn and lemonade. There is normally fun music playing. Overall, a good place to stop by if you are in the area. read more

Okay. This is really more of a 3.5, but you can never have too many farmers' markets, so I'll round up. Actually, maybe you can have too many farmers' markets, which is why I think this one has been declining a bit in recent years. It seems like nowadays every block of every neighborhood has its own market. Are the vendors spread a little thin? There's definitely been some thinning out in Pearl Alley. I first became acquainted with this market when I was still living in Akron but was interning at the Attorney General's Office for a summer. Back then, it seemed like there were more vendors, more variety, and FOR SURE more lunch options. Now, there are a few food trucks off the main drag, and their proximity to the dumpsters makes me dry heave. Despite all this, though, I love that this is here. I love that it's on weekdays. I love that it's downtown (thus easy for me to get to, no special trips required). I love that it occurs twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays). I love that I can pick up flowers for my office during a lunch break. I love that I can pick up veggies and meat for dinner when I know my cupboards are bare without having to bother with a grocery store. I love that it runs through October. I usually only get flowers, meat, and produce, but there are quite a few baked goods vendors and gifty vendors, too. There's a woman who sells knitted items-- she was selling remarkable handmade hats for $20 apiece! I bought two for future holiday gifts. Strange to think of wearing hats now, but "winter is coming." I kind of felt guilty for only paying $20 for them. I know what goes into making one... and I felt like I was stealing. Oh, and the dude who used to sell fresh mini doughnuts at the Food Truck Food Court at the Commons on Thursdays last year has relocated to the Pearl Alley market this year. Bring some back to your office and become the favoritest employee. read more

The first few times, I chalked it up to the summer vacation months, as to why this market seemed unusually sparse. However, this last time (the third stop-in this summer) it was still quite dead. Granted I didn't get here until around 1:30 pm, still I expected many more venders :( The market closes at 2, so perhaps many venders were already packed up and gone. There were only three or four tables selling produce. One lettuce and cabbage. One table had several pints of blueberries. Some green beans for sale. Perhaps this market is not an ideal place for produce? Is the clientele not looking to buy groceries, since they come on their lunch break? Things that make ya go hmmmm... Anyhoo, I got some "liquid flavoring" - Root 23's Cucumber Habanero simple syrup - perfect for mixing with Selzer water. The lady was super polite and informative. Great "people person". I love supporting the local economy!! I'm planning to check out a few other markets, while summer's still alive and kicking. Hopefully I'll find more selection. read more

I have been going to the Farmer's Market for 3 years now and it seems to be declining in awesomeness each year. Maybe I'm jaded or just simply "over " the market. I'm not really into the produce, as I don't feel like schlepping bags of veggies to my office and then to my parking garage. I think there is enough produce here to make the average shopper happy. What made me happy about the market in past years was the food. You could easily go there and get something amazing for lunch on Tuesday or Friday. Now the options are just, crepes or Jamaican food and I think someone makes veggie wraps. There used to be more creative seller's (in my eyes) that have gone away. Now there's a guy hawking energy supplements and lazy cakes. It's nice to check out every once and awhile for a work break , but it's no longer rocking. read more

Quick Tip: Credit cards accepted! Forgot cash? Swipe your card to receive tokens that are redeemable at each stand. Tucked away in a little alley downtown is the cure for your Tuesday and Friday mid-day blues. This little market has everything. The farmers market produce looks amaaa-hazing, but you can buy lunch, jewelry, coffee, loaves of bread and sweets too! There are street musicians playing good tunes just to add to the vibe. Sweetness. My recommendations: The mini cupcakes in buckeye flavor, the handmade crepes (savory and sweet), and the herb bread. Next time, I'm planning to try the jamaican food. read more

I enjoy this market but would agree with some other reviewers about it being very sparse. Also I thought the produce was a little higher than a few other farmer markets but that might be due to this being downtown with more travel cost the markets in the suburbs. The best part of this market is the donut and cookie stand. They sell donuts for $1-3 that all look very tasty. They have a few with bacon on top and different cream filled ones. They even gave my little daughter a free sugar cookie with yellow icing. Of course it also had a smiley face. The icing had a very pleasant lemon flavor. Another bonus here would be its proximity to some great eateries if you want lunch along with the market. read more

Who'd of thunk that there would be a well decent farmer's market in downtown Columbus? The only other time that I was down here was for 'official work business' so I didn't think of doing anything other than making sure the vendors passed their inspection so it was nice to stop back and experience it as a shopper. There were scores of fruits and veggies at really good prices and looking much better than many that I'd seen in the grocery stores. If you weren't look to buy some food, you can always check out the leather and textile goods. Sugardaddy's (http://www.yelp.com/biz/sugardaddys-sumptuous-sweeties-columbus) was there passing out samples and I was really tempted to break down and buy some blondies. But I was good and stuck with the fruits and veggies! P.S. In case you're wondering, the farmers who sell at Pearl Alley are certified by the USDA as actually growing the produce they are selling rather than shipping it in from out of state/county. A great way to buy local!! read more

I work downtown, and was so excited for a Farmers' Market near my building. Unfortunately this one has left me wanting more. The set up is heavy on Market, light on Farmers'. Maybe the growing season has been tough, but I haven't had much luck getting produce here. There are a lot of vendors, but I can't help but think that the Columbus Dispatch, Giant Eagle gift card vendor, Nationwide Insurance, and energy supplement guy don't really fit. Maybe I'm being too critical, but I want to support local farmers, not corporations I can find around the block. On the plus side for this Farmers' Market, there is a system in place to use your credit/debit card to buy tokens to use as payment at each vendor. If you go, try to get there early. On more than one occasion I've went over to get something specific (strawberries!) and they were sold out before I could get there. read more

Tucked between Broad, High, Gay, and Third Streets in downtown Columbus is the tiny Pearl Alley. On Tuesdays and Fridays the alley fills with tents, food, and downtown workers during the Pearl Farmer's Market. Pearl Alley has a different feel than other Farmer's Markets in Columbus. It is a lunch hour market, so the vendors tend on the side of homemade food and produce essentials. There are few crowds and none of the 'get there first before the fruit runs out' mentality. On the day my daughter Lil and I went in mid June 2011, we saw three or four fresh produce stands selling strawberries, peas, lettuces, and the season's first zucchini. There were several vendors of homemade sweets, two lovely bread stands, and places to buy meat, cheese, and lunch foods like sandwiches, samosas, and drinks. Several vendors were selling household goods including homemade soap, clothing, and flowers. Lest you think that Pearl Alley is only for office workers, let me reassure that kids and families are very welcome. There is often a musical act performing, vendors are very friendly with kids, and samples draw in foodies of all ages. The market is situated within easy walking distance of the new Columbus Commons, the Ohio Statehouse and the Santa Maria. It is fun to make a day of exploring our state capital on foot. Parking is fairly easy to find at meters on Third, in the garage under the Statehouse, or in the Columbus Commons garage. COTA buses run frequently downtown too. read more

There was a section in this months Columbus Monthly about where to find local farmers markets and this one made the list. My reason for checking it out was because Tuesday is my day off and this was one of 2 open on a Tuesday. It was very easy to find with plenty of parking. I arrived promptly at 4pm (the hours were from 4-6pm) and there were only 4 vendors set up. I was a little disappointed at first glance but then realized each vendor had a lot to choose from. Plenty of fruits, veggies, and pumpkins all nicely displayed on their respective tables. At the first table I purchased cherry tomatoes, 2 baby eggplant, and 4 very large green peppers for a total of $5. The next table over had strawberries for $5 a quart (they were rather small but actually very juicy and sweet). The third table I picked out 2 large white onions and a few ears of white sweet corn for $3. So for a total of $13 I was able to get a variety of produce to last me until next tuesday! read more

Happened to stumble upon this little open air market just off the Square in Pearl Alley....an eclectic mix of fruits, veggies, candies, home-made gluten-free breads, and clothing and accessories, all reasonably priced. read more

I still think the Grove City Market is much better, this is a really solid market with everything from produce and meat to eggs. If you are downtown, it is worth a view read more