In March of 2017, my niece Alex and I spent a few days together in Phoenix. We enjoyed visiting the OdySea Aquarium and checking out some of South Mountain Park. We also enjoyed a great meal at Comedor Guadalajara. However, our trip wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to the Phoenix Public Market – aka the Open Air Market.
The Open Air Market is in downtown Phoenix and is a gathering place of small farmers and businesses that strengthen sustainable food systems and produce healthy products for the local community. They are open rain or shine, year-round! However, hours do vary during the summer months. Saturdays (May-Sep): 8 am to Noon and Saturdays (Oct-Apr): 8 am to 1 pm.
We had a great time walking around and talking to some of the many vendors. Just like my visit to the Farmers Market at the Hyatt Regency in Waikiki, there were many vendors selling fruit and veggies. However, this one had a lot of vendors selling bread. The two that I remember the most were the Jerusalem Bakery and the Arizona Bread Company.
A few other vendors I enjoyed checking out were also sort of related to bread. They were DeCio Pasta and Doctor Hummus. DeCio Pasta sells handmade pasta using Durum Semolina wheat flour. Their pasta is all-natural, has no cholesterol, low in sodium and fat. Doctor Dummus sells locally made hummus, pestos, pita chips, and more.
Update – Apparently DeCio Pasta is closed for the time being. They are looking into a new facility. I Will update once I learn more.
We also enjoyed watching a man with Clay Madness making some amazing pottery. It was intruding just watching him mold and shape the clay. I mentioned the movie Ghost to Alex and she just looked at me. Guess I showed my age, lol.
Sadly we couldn’t buy much as we were heading to the airport a few hours later. I didn’t want to have to check a bag. However, I couldn’t resist the spies at Carefree Spice Company. They all smelled wonderful and we love trying different flavors in our food. We have enjoyed them several times since my trip.
We had a great time and enjoyed a few samples and talking to some of the locals about where they were located, etc. I got a few cards and will check them out the next time we are in the area. I definitely look forward to having lunch at the Arizona Bread Company one day. The other thing I enjoyed was seeing all the dogs. Since it’s an open-air market dogs were allowed as long as they are on leashes. Not sure if this has changed, but that’s how it was when we were there. Please let me know as we plan to drive there in the future and I would love to walk around with our fur babies. Thanks in advance. Here is a link to their website which includes a list of vendors. Happy shopping.
I thought this might also be helpful. It is a map with all of the current vendors listed by location. Might be helpful if you just want to pop in for a specific item. Sadly a lot of the vendors we saw are no longer at the Open Air Market. I guess it’s time for another trip, lol.
Open Air Market Information
Address:
721 N Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phone:
602-625-6736
Hours:
Saturday 8 am – 1 pm
Directions and Parking:
Bike Parking
Always celebrated.
Auto Parking
Parking is available directly north and south of the Farmers Market, from 1st Street & McKinley and 1st Street & Filmore. Street parking and other parking options are available throughout downtown.
Light Rail
The market is located directly 2 blocks south of the Central & Roosevelt Light Rail station.
City Bus
The market is located directly off the bus routes on Central & McKinley.
Tips and Suggestions:
Cash works best, small bills especially. However, bank debit/credit cards are accepted and can be used at almost all of the vendor booths or run as one transaction at the Information Booth.
- Shop early for the best selection.
- The produce is seasonal so buy it when you see it. Ask the farmer how much longer it will be available.
- Ask questions about the produce/meat/products – know your food roots.
- Get to know the vendors – they’ll teach you how to use produce that is unfamiliar and offer recipe suggestions.
- Ask about pre-orders as many vendors allow you to pre-order things like eggs, meat, or artisan items.
- Bring a cooler with ice or a cold pack during the hot months.
- All meats are sold frozen.
- Bring your own grocery and produce bags, cart or basket. Let’s reduce the number of new bags we consume.
- Enjoy shopping local and seasonal, be inspired by market-fresh recipes.
What is in Season?
Summer:
Apples, Corn, Cucumbers, Figs, Garlic, Green beans, Herbs, Leeks, Melons, Nectarines, Onions, Peaches, Peas, Plums, Potatoes, Squash (summer), Sweet Onions, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Zucchini Blossoms
Fall:
Apples, Arugula, Basil, Black-eyed peas, Chiles, Corn, Cucumbers, Figs, Green beans, Herbs, Okra, Peas, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Shelling Beans, Squash (summer), Squash (winter), Sweet Peppers, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Zucchini Blossoms
Winter:
Arugula, Beets, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Broccoli raab, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celeriac/celery root, Clementines, Grapefruit, Green onion/scallions, Greens, Herbs, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lemons, Lettuce, Oranges, Parsnips, Radishes, Rutabagas, Spinach, Sweet potatoes, Tangerines, Turnips
Spring:
Arugula, Beets, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Broccoli raab, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celeriac/celery root, Clementines, Garlic, Grapefruit, Green onion/scallions, Greens, Herbs, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lemons, Lettuce, Oranges, Parsnips, Radishes, Rutabagas, Spinach, Strawberries, Sweet potatoes, Tangerines, Turnips.
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