It's always a treat to visit the Farmer's Market in St Jacobs. They have so much to offer, whether it's fresh produce, clothing, antiques, and much more. There are many vendors selling food and they're all busy! After wandering around the market for a while, it was time to get some lunch. With tons of choices, and everything looking good, we took a little while to decide. We ended up with a chicken pita, roast beef pita, and a roast beef sandwich. We also had a couple different types of freshly made potato chips. It was all good. Of course, we had to have some apple fritters, perhaps the most popular food item at the market. The lineup went out the door, even though it was drizzling a bit. It was worth the effort. They were hot, freshly made, and delicious! There is so much to see, do, buy, and photograph at St. Jacobs Farmers' Market. The produce market alone offers so many great photo opportunities of picture perfect fruits, vegetables, flowers, and more. There is an abundance of great subjects, with most of them being very delicious We explored the market a bit more after lunch, picking up some fresh fruits before heading to our next destination. Check tomorrow's post to see what else the market has to offer. read more

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First time here. It was fun!! So much to see and eat. Love the local mom and pop shops homemade fresh. What more can you ask for. Definitely come early. Get a good parking spot. Bring a cooler. And can get ice from Walmart across the street. Need to come when it's not 40°c read more

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I've been here a few times. Love this market, it's huge with a lot of things to buy. They offer fruits and vegetables at a great price. Sadly they only open on Thursdays and Saturdays so I would usually go early Saturday mornings with my family to try and beat the crowd as you can imagine it getting super busy. Every time I come here I must get the apple fritters and the line up for it is always super long. The apple fritters are delicious! Absolutely love them! Highly recommend read more

St Jacob's Farmer's Market - Farmers Market Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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I had always heard many good things about St. Jacobs Farmers Market, but it definitely was above and beyond my expectations. First of all, it's huge and there are so many farmers and vendors participating. You really can spend a whole day here without getting bored! Lol So many fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh Ontario picks like strawberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, cherries, zucchini, peppers, lavender, etc. There are so many food and pastry shops, too. Food is being prepared here, breads and pastries are prepared and packaged and sold here. Another perk about this place is that they're open all year long; of course the dates vary. All the vendors are very friendly and it the market has definitely a positive vibe. read more

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We have not been there for years and it was amazing with variety fresh products and such. I know I am not alone was there ever consideration on having shopping carts. We bought produce but we could only carry so much. Our car was too far to carry back and return. We would have definitely bought more. Keep up the good work!!! read more

St. Jacobs Farmers' Market is one of Canada's largest year-round farmers' markets. It's only open twice a week (every Thursday and Saturday), so it can get very crowded and packed, especially on Saturdays. The main building is slightly smaller than St. Lawrence Market is Toronto, with fewer vendors, but they have a large outdoor space that also hosts additional vendors (selling produce, hats, sunglasses, clothes, freshly squeezed juice, etc.). There are additional buildings in the area, including a building that acts as a mini food court with various ready-to-eat food vendors, and a log house where you can book tours (Mennonite countryside driving tour and a tour to the sugarbush during maple harvest season in the spring). All the produce are locally grown, fresh, and high-quality. Food selections include international cuisines (doners, dumlings, perogies, tacos, empanadas, etc.). One of my favourite food vendors is Almadina, serving one of the best tabbouleh out there, hummus, and a variety of different delicious Middle Eastern goodies (including various types of meloui - giant bread-like pastries with different fillings such as spinach, basil, artichokes, cheese, herbs, and spices). For those with a sweet tooth, the market has lots of baked goods, fudge, churros, and more. Apple Fritter Co. seems to be the most popular food vendor in the market, with super lone lineups that extend through the door outside. Their apple fritters are supposedly excellent, which they sell by the box, and there is the option to pair them with ice cream. Just be prepared to wait in line for a long time. It's best to eat them while they're hot and crispy! The second floor of the main building hosts antique vendors. There is also another larger building across the street (where the extra parking lot is) that houses all kinds of antiques, ranging from furniture and household items, to old-school comic books and gift items. read more

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One of the must visits if you are visiting Waterloo! We love this market, there are so many popup shops, and things to explore. The veggies are super fresh and there are lots of things to do if you want to spend a day here. read more

Classic KW experience. Great stalls and foods along with farmer's market with tons of produce.

Hello 2022! As we enter the new year lets make yelp more colourful fragrant and delicious. So here is my perspective on this grand farmers market, 90 minutes drive from TO downtown this place is a paradise. During summers We visit them once a month on a Saturday, its our picnic and we bring back a months vegetables/ fruits supply. It is an experience to buy directly from farmers, taste the raw and fresh veggies/fruits. Sample food all locally sourced and grown. We are with outdoor stalls and keep dropping filled bags back to the car and going back for more. We also buy our mushrooms from here but you habe to be really early to find good ones. At the beginning of the seasion we buy our plants and starter kits. In winters you go straight to one of the 3 indoor markets and follow the path. We do bring our portable trolleys or cart. Inside indoor markets you can find a lot of food vendors- you can choose from mexican ( from the tamale lady), coffee, thai, vegan, bakeries, pitas, chips, funnel cakes, gyros and what not. Enjoy the treats. Go empty stomach, carry huge grocery bags, keep trunk empty to stock. Reach early. Carry cash. You will also find some handmade artwork and other cool decorative stuff. My all-time favourite vendors are: The Tamale girl, Shea butter and black soap shop, Mushroom boy, Orange juice stall, The Garlic king, And all the fruits and veggie stalls. If you are with kids save some time for the horse coach ride. Kids love the open area, the food and the vibrance of the place. read more

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I need to thank my friend, Mary T, for telling me about St. Jacobs Market, because it is so cool! It's a Farmers' Market that has both indoor and outdoor stalls. There are several indoor buildings and a big outdoor area. Unfortunately, my husband and I didn't have too much time to spend at the market, but based on the quick time we spent there and the limited items we tried, we really enjoyed it. We got a Portuguese custard tart from A Portuguesa Bakery ($1.80) and also the Melarosa Wrap from Almadina ($8). A Portuguesa Bakery was, you guessed it, a Portuguese bakery, lol. They had several pastries as well as bread. Everything looked delicious. The custard tart was so fresh that it was still warm when we ate it (the market opened at 7am and we were there shortly after 7:30am). The crust was crispy and oh so tasty. If you like natas, I definitely recommend these. Almadina sells Egyptian snacks. The Melarosa Wrap was chicken, peas and potatoes in a baked wrap. It was good, although I was looking more for a new taste sensation, which I didn't feel I got because it basically tasted like samosa fillings inside a wrap, lol. We really wanted to try the famous apple fritters at The Fritter Co., but the line up was epic, and we were pressed for time. The market is only open on Thursdays (8am-3pm) and Saturdays 7am-3:30pm. There's free parking on-site. read more

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So this was our first experience at the St Jacob's Farmer's Market in the Kitchener-Waterloo area It's an hour and half jaunt across the 401 Traffic can suck at times so I'd suggest the earlier you go the better The market is huge There are both outdoor and indoor pavilions Tons of fresh produce vendors The produce is top notch, free of pesticides Massive in size I was completely in awe at the size of some of the fruits and vegetables I would suggest bringing cash as a lot of produce vendors operate on cash Some of the other vendors do have debit There is one place that we saw an insane lineup for called The Fritter Co. Unfortunately was too long a line but I'm making a note to myself next time to go there We came away with lots of nice fruit and veggies for the day along with some good old fashioned home baking They also have farm animals there as well for the kids to check out I would definitely recommend this is a must see and do trip for anybody going out that way or wanting to do a nice day trip read more

St Jacob's Farmer's Market - The farmers market - Farmers Market Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

If you're visiting Waterloo, this is an absolute must visit place! This place is humongous! There are 3 main buildings with a variety of food stalls such as meat pies, cheese, perogies, pretzels, sweets, specialty bread, and more! And you must stop at "The Fritter Co." stall to get some freshly made deep fried apple fritters. There's usually a line up but it does move pretty quickly. We came here twice already so we have managed to see everything with the 2 visits. Make sure you come with an empty stomach so you can try more food. Here is list of food that I would recommend to try: 1) Apple Fritters at The Fritters Co. 2) Perogies at Perogie Palace 3) Churro dog at La Abuela 4) Pretzel at Grandpa's Soft Pretzels 5) Portuguese tarts at Portuguesa Bakery I also want to highlight there are really nice jewelry and ceramic shops that are great for gifts. I got a matching set of earrings & necklace at Riverbend Mandalas (located in the Market Tent building)...these are "mandala art" that are all hand painted by Sylviane Leblanc, the owner (and her mom). The prices are reasonable from $35 to $55 and discounted if you get two items. I'll definitely be coming back to get more for Christmas gifts. read more

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Everyone is obsessed with the apple fritters so I'll give a run down here. It's in the large central 'barn' but located near the side entrance (left of the main front doors) so you will see a line going outside that may loop by the Peddlers village building. We found the shop around 10:30 am and the line was quite long, maybe 50 people in front of us. It moved tho, about 20min. Once you're thru the doors, the staff are super quick and efficient. Might as well get a dozen as they lasted the day and were good in the fridge. Other things to note is that the free parking was packed so you might have to circle for spots. And the market is huge! We ran thru a small part of it due to time. But we loved the inexpensive seasonal produce, butter tarts, local chocolates, and tamales. We could easily spend the day here eating, walking, shopping, and people watching. Good entertainment for the kids too. read more

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Must get Apple fritters! They are the best and so delicious. It's worth waiting in line - I promise. We also got perigees and pizza from the nearby vendors. They were good but wasn't particularly memorable. I was excited to get cheese curd and regret purchasing it from the first vendor I saw when I walked in. Keep walking around the market, there's another vendor further back with cheese curd that looked more fresh. Lots of vendors, food and groceries to shop from! Can easily spend 1-2 hours here. read more

St Jacob's Farmer's Market - Farmers Market Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Such a cute weekend activity to do with the girls. I was surprised by how big the market is but I love walking around here, especially in the summer. It gets pretty busy on weekends but definitely something to come visit! The fritters are amazing so make sure you try those as well. read more

looked more like a giant flea market with about 10 stalls repeated 50 times. Not worth ever coming back. Took us longer to park the car and walk to the market than how long we stayed. Huge disappointment. read more

The St Jacobs market is a hustle bustle place to be, if you want to avoid crowds try a weekday. The location has restrictions on smoking and vaping, making it a kid friendly place to be. The location is accessible with washrooms and a map on their website. I would like to say I agree with their advertising of over 250 venders, I think 500 is a lot closer if you review the directory and see 16 vendors on 12 pages... do the math. One of the upcoming events is the Strawberry Social which happens mid June so buy your tix for strawberry themed delights. There is a bit of history to this location, a few years ago there was a massive fire basically putting the market out for a few months now they are back and even stronger so if you want to be elbow to elbow, stop in. read more

Amazing place to roam and spend a Saturday morning. They are open year round but only on Saturdays. They have outdoor and indoor markets full of fresh fruits and veggies, artisan chocolates, beer and condiments, smoked meat, food stalls, used bookstores, arts and crafts and one of a kind clothing and accessories. It's very fun! They also have an antique market close by and an outlet mall. I would prefer if the outdoor is dog friendly as it seems like a nice place to bring dogs. There are fire pits that you can sit around to have an outdoor snack. read more

St Jacob's Farmer's Market - Farmers Market Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

This place is a nice drive...farm land & good treats..it was a pleasant place..very nice people & service, read more

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This was my first time visiting St Jacob's Farmer Market so I wasn't sure of what to expect. They're only open on Thursday's and Saturday's so you bet it's going to be very crowded, however I wasn't expecting it to be this busy especially because of covid. The market itself is huge and is both indoor and outdoor. There's no one at the front to control the traffic for all incoming cars and there are long lines of car lining up to get in. Once inside, there are lines in placed to control the direction of the traffic flow. I wanted to get some apple fritters but the line to get in was insanely long although it was moving quite fast, I didn't bother with it. I got some grapes ($5 for 2 bags), apples ($10/bag), berries (mix n match $10 for 5), candy corn ($10 for a dozen), and honey ($13). Tbh I got what I needed and left ASAP because of how crowded it was...I was honestly so shocked at how there was little to no social distancing and there must've been thousands of people. I really thought they were going to control the amount of people going in and out. I really want to come back here but hopefully on a weekday or when it's a little less crowded. read more

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What a great place this is to buy meat, fresh produce, baked goods and arts and crafts. It was packed today but we were able to find parking no problem. The vendors all take cash and credit cards. The prices are not cheap but you can find some good deals. Make sure you che k out inside the buildings too. read more

St Jacob's Farmer's Market - Farmers Market Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Great for family time. Grab a bite, buy fresh produce from farmers, everyone will find something they like and just enjoy !! read more

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So disappointed, it has been since the fire, we live 3 plus hours away, not worth driving to even if you lived close. Poor meat markets ,over priced and the rest a cheap flee market feel. Produce is a joke, selling as if it were local, we don't even have the veggies in July. Last time ever read more

Where else can you find this vast selection of farmers market goodies so close to the city? It's worth a drive once in a while to save money on many different foods. And if you are into European salamis and cheese, this is the place to get deals. I could imagine you could even make offers to the farmers and buy in bulk. If you look at my pic of what I got for $35 you will forever be kicking yourself when shopping at Loblaws and making those fat cats rich. The selection and prices of meats is truly amazing, but of course also the seasonal items like vegetables locally grown. The snacks are good too, with a theme of Canadian foods, nothing fancy, just home made style pretzels, sandwiches and a loooooong lineup for apple fritters, that kind of typical farmers market food including sausage on a bun, or basically anything that could be made out of the food they produce. Keep in mind they are closed Sundays, but hey, we will give them that since their religion also includes being fair and giving the rest of us value for our hard-earned cash. read more

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The apple fritters alone are worth the 1.5 hour drive from Toronto: the batter-to apple ratio is outstanding, the apples are plump and sweet, and the coating is crispy. Best eaten right there and then so its piping hot, but I've taken some back home to Toronto and they still hold up. Also, their apple cider is the perfect drink during cold winter days. The other stall we love is the cheese place. Great cheese with super knowledgeable people. We told them the number and tastes of people we were buying cheese for, they gave great suggestions and were generous with allowing us to taste test before buying. The rest of the market has some interesting stalls. First floor is mostly food/drinks, while the second floor is clothes and knick-knacks. A few tips: - Try to get here before 11am. Otherwise, good luck with the mob of people. - There's an area on the second floor with tables and chairs. Usually the eating area on the ground level is packed, so make your way upstairs for a quiet and less crowded dining experience. - If you come at around 2pm, the fruits/veggies place cuts its prices dramatically. It's not unusual to see people being home bags and bags of them. - Bring cash... but there are also a couple of ATMs on site. Happy market-ing! read more

Left feeling disappointed. We went here looking for a Mennonite experience with good food. There was a building that shared about the Mennonite history which was a highlight for us to learn. But the market itself isn't very unique. No different than the markets we have in Toronto. While there was some makers with handmade products. There were a lot of vendors selling item that are mass manufactured like cell phone cases etc. that you can find in any mall. Almost felt like a flee market. I didn't need to make the drive. read more

Born and raised in Toronto and have never been here in my entire life. How sad. Rows and rows of fresh fruits and vegetables. Mostly local! There was one stall that had crazy cheap prices but if you looked a little closer, their stuff wasn't all from Ontario, let alone Canada! Anyways... chacun son gout! I chose to focus on the Mennonite community and purchased the sweetest corn! An entire baker's dozen for $5. I should've bought more! I also purchased some peaches and nectarines from Niagara and they were so juicy! Yummy! I can't forget the flat of strawberries! I think they were the last of the season and very worth $20! Not only do they have an outdoor farmers' market on Saturdays, but they have a few indoor buildings as well. There are food stands scattered around so you definitely won't go hungry. I gravitated towards the apple fritters with ice cream. Solid choice for a snack! People lining up buying boxes of these and they even label the type of apple being used. There's an antique market a short walk away. I didn't go there but it would be fun for the treasure hunter! Pro tip: Bring a cooler just in case. My strawberries lasted the car ride home in good condition! read more

St Jacob's Farmer's Market is filled with fresh affordable produce! This is the first time I visited the market since the fire a while back. It's as vibrant as I remember. With COVID, the market now has arrow directing the traffic flow. The indoor market is now filled with many vegan and vegetarian friendly options! The outdoor market is filled with seasonal produce and flowers! There are definitely lots to see. Be sure to visit early to avoid the crowd. read more

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This place is packed with places to see. If you don't come away with buying something I would be shocked. They have beautiful bouquets of flowers. If we didn't live in states I would have loved one of their mum plants. Several cultures represented in the food stall area. We got the homemade apple fritters, delicious. The parking is a bit of a nightmare. We wished there were a few more entrances and exits it got jammed up at times. read more

I've never been to a market in Canada before. This one is no joke and bigger than most I have seen elsewhere. The first building has a variety of food, meats, and crafts upstairs. Go outside for even more fun for food, produce, and even wine and beer tastings from local places. You can spend a lot of time here for sure. read more

Must-stop everytime we're at St Jacob's... THE FRITTER CO. for APPLE FRITTERS: located right outside the doors (next to the ATM) of one the barn looking buildings. Long ques, but such a rewarding wait because their apple fritters have just the right amount of coating with sugar, deep fried to soften and warm the apple slice inside, while having the outside doughy and golden brown. It's kinda neat that you can watch the entire process too from behind the counter ! JOLLY POPPER for SWEET & SALTY KETTLE POPCORN: located somewhere in the lines of tents/booths, you can't miss their huge popcorn machines and massive popcorn bags displayed! They pop them fresh and have just the slightest delicious sweet & salty flavour without being too sweet or sticky. read more

It is an extremely crowded place, difficult for parking, lots of aggressive people from the city and outlying suburbs, an overall pushy vibe disguised as a pleasant, being "out in the country", type experience. What may have started out as a genuinely nice place, has morphed into a big-box-city experience outside the city limits with a lot of hyper aggressive people. I have to give our farmers credit for the amazing work they do in terms of the quality of their produce. Our farmers are our most underappreciated heroes. But my preference would be smaller less designer-ish markets. This place has morphed over the years and is a big-box place disguised as a "country style" experience. read more

Disappointed. Ridiculous amount of slow moving, overcrowded people's. Hated it. Food court was lacking food. Found some good jam, the highlight. Couldn't wait to get out of the PACKED parking lot, awful. read more

St Jacob's Farmer's Market - Absolutely NUTTY the amount of people, get me out of here - Farmers Market Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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Hey, this is one of the best local tourist attractions that entices families from all over the Golden Horseshoe to visit! So many different booths, venues and things to drive your senses wild; both indoor and outdoor. I love to spend a few hours wandering around before committing to a buy. Prices vary so take time to comparison shop before you commit. Enjoy! read more

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Since I work every Saturdays, I never have a chance to visit St Jacob's Farmer's Market till now. I am not really sure what I missed since I never experienced the way it used to be, before the fire that completely destroyed the main building on Sept 2013. But I still have an enjoyable time. The new building of course is a lot more modern with such high ceiling and skylights. The washroom is just so clean... Cheese, Meat, Honey, Flowers, Vegetables. Fruits, Baked Produces.. you can find them all here. Definitely a more memorable experience than shopping at my usual grocery stores! Sadly it was freezing cold on the day I visited, the outdoor market area was really quiet. Hopefully I will be back again on a Nice Summer or Fall day to enjoy the vibrate vibe of St Jacob's Farmer's Market. Kudo for everyone that work so hard to rebuild the Market after the fire! read more

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Came here on a Saturday afternoon. It was quite busy but I was able to find a parking spot within minutes. Crowds were huge but not suffocating. There were so many great deals! As I walked into the Farmer's Market, the first booth I saw was selling berries for a steal. It was 7 boxes for $10 and you could pick from blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. I also bought cauliflower and broccoli which were 2 for $3. Great place to get some fresh groceries in exchange for some pocket change. I'll be back next time with an empty stomach to try the famous apple fritters (and more! Perogies maybe?) read more

I consider myself a farmer's market connoisseur. I frequent my neighborhood one and often try to stop by local markets when I'm traveling somewhere new. Still this was one of the most impressive ones I've been to. Spread throughout multiple buildings and a large outdoor lot there is so much to choose from. I was mostly interested in the food but there are a bunch of non food items too if that's what you are looking for. I basically got all of my groceries for the week (meat, eggs, bread, fruits, vegetables) and loved that it was all local. There were multiple options for basically everything I was looking for so it's worth doing a loop to survey all the options before committing to a specific stand. Outside of those staples they also have plenty of restaurants selling drinks and meals to eat on the spot as well as maple syrup, honey, jams, sauces etc. Note that most places accept cards but it wouldn't hurt to come prepared with cash. As for covid- they have implemented a mask policy for all of the buildings and have arrows for suggested pathways (although they aren't perfectly followed). They also have specific doors marked for entrance or exit only and employees enforcing this. The employees are also monitoring capacity for both indoor and outdoor areas to make sure it doesn't get too crowded. I went on both a weekday and a weekend and I had to wait to enter on the weekend but had no problems on the weekday. Overall I was impressed on all counts. read more

Tip: Even if there's a remote possibility that you're going to be buying meat, seafood, or a large bottle of delicious, freshly squeezed OJ, bring a cooler with ice packs!!! Tip: Bring CASH!!! There were lotsa line-ups at no-name ATM machines, so I'm assuming that most vendors take cash only. Food vendors are most likely cash only. This place is like St. Law...on crack. Market is really busy, especially on Saturdays, so try to get there early to get a parking spot/avoid the crowds. With that said, crowd seems friendly and lively, as opposed to pushy and rude. Bring extra patience if you have a stroller, walker, or wheelchair. Buildings, especially near food stalls, can be cramped! What I do love about this market is that the prices aren't super duper inflated. You can still get a meal for ~$5. If you think about it, $5 for 6 pierogies is sorta expensive, but hopefully they're homemade, right? Other "deals": Freshly squeezed OJ, which reminded me of Portugal (very orange and sweet!) and the Fro-Zen Trolley for self-serve froyo/gelato/soft-serve with unlimited toppings. It's $5 for a small, but if you pull the lever down strategically and turn your cup, you can actually put quite a lot of product!!! ;) I was looking to get an Apple Fritter, or half a dozen :), but the line was just waaay too long for just 1. My only minor complaint is that there are 2-3 buildings, a whole outdoor section, so it's easy to get disoriented, walk by the same places, back track, etc. read more

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Watch when you purchase. I was ripped off of my change! A gentleman only had $8 and the popcorn was $10 or 2 for $15...I offered to split it with him and gave her the twenty but would not give me the change! read more

I love coming here when I'm passing by Waterloo on Saturdays! The prices and the fresh produce can't be beat! I always see pastries etc being sold in larger chain grocery stores with St. Jacobs Market stickers on them, so why not pop by personally and grab fresh ones here? It's usually quite busy on Saturdays (they're open from 7am - 3:30 pm) and I'd suggest parking at the St. Jacob's Outlet across the street and just walking the short distance over. It also saves a lot of traffic to wait for later on. The little shops are really cute inside, you can find unexpected gems hidden if you take your time and really look around. They also have some of the lowest prices I've seen around for Birkenstocks (or their dupes alike), Crocs etc. They've recently renovated the layout so its nice to head upstairs where you can find little knick knacks and presents (especially during holiday season!). St. Jacob's marker is the perfect place to do your grocery run as it has pretty much everything you'd need. Seafood, Meat, Veggies, Fruits, Bread -- and more. For bread and fresh selection of meat, I'd recommend coming earlier in the day for first dibs. But if you get here around 2-2:30, that's when the deals are really good for fruits and veggies since they want to clear out things. I've gotten 5 items for $10 where you can mix and match things at one stand. I"d highly recommend bringing reusable grocery bags, or pulling one of those trolleys. Plus definitely bring a cooler if you're going to buy any meat or juice. They do offer bags, but realistically, they aren't that strong. They'll fall apart if you're there for longer, and you're carrying heavier items. It's quite spacious and theres plenty of patio benches outdoors for people to sit and eat. Animals are welcome, and there's even a horse carriage you can ride! 10/10 would recommend anyone to pop by and see what St. Jacob's Market has to offer. I don't think you'll be disappointed. read more