On a brilliantly sunny Sunday afternoon in Seattle, we hit up the Ballard Farmers Market, strolling through the tree-lined street, learning about the region's seasonal specialties and sampling an impressive variety of artisan foods. There were sweet cherries and strawberries, curlicue garlic scapes, and the most incredible caramels we've ever tasted…
Open every Sunday year round, rain or shine (and oh, the glorious blue skies we had yesterday!), Ballard is considered one of the best farmers' markets in the nation. Locals and tourists flock to the market's 40 or so vendors to buy produce, seafood, meat, cheese, baked goods, preserved foods, honey, and more. Even though strawberry and cherry season is late this year due to cold, wet weather, the ones we tasted were sublime, and we swooned over some of the local cheeses, apple juices, and jams.
Do you shop at the Ballard Farmers Market, or have you visited during your travels? What are your favorite finds?
TOP ROW
1 Ballard Farmers Market is located on Ballard Avenue NW, between Vernon Place NW and 22nd Avenue NW
2 A bustling day at the market
3 Gorgeous fresh greens from Oxbow Farm
4 Blushing Rainier cherries
5 Bunches of garlic scapes
MIDDLE ROW
6 Early stone fruit from Collins Family Orchards
7 Strawberries, small and sweet
8 Rhubarb ready for baking
9 Apple ciders, juices, and vinegars from Rockridge Orchards
10 The last of the season's asparagus
BOTTOM ROW
11 Conversation at the market
12 Early season Tieton cherries
13 Fresh horseradish
14 Sustainably harvested wild seafood from Loki Fish
15 Jonboy's Absinthe and Black Salt caramels, made just a few blocks from the market
• Learn more: Ballard Farmers Market
Related: Farm Days on the Cobblestones: Seattle, Washington
(Images: Emily Ho)
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Bacsac Bacsquare 04...
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
LOVE! The ballard market, it is a bit of a drive for me so I don't go as often as I would like to but love everything about it!
ah, this makes me miss seattle. i loved the ballard market best when i lived there. especially the crepe girls and the clogger withthe string band. siiiiiiigh
That's my friend Becky in photo 3 on the right!
The Ballard farmer's market is one of my favorite ways to spend a Sunday. Be sure to try the vegan tamales from Patty Pan Grill!
My husband and I walk down to the Ballard Market every Sunday morning. I love to load up on whatever is in season (this weekend was walla walla onions, rhubarb, snap peas, fresh garlic, and an amazing 8 year-old gouda). My husband finds the crowds overwhelming, but he comes because the pizza slices from Verraci (spelling?) are so delicious! We miss our family in Southern Ontario terribly, but Ballard is amazing, and the market makes it truly feel like home.
That asparagus is from Alvarez farms. I'd know those beans anywhere!
I love this farmer's market. I live in Ballard, and walk to this market every Sunday year-round, rain or shine, whether I need to buy groceries or not. Shout out to my friends at Nash's Organic!
we just bought morel mushrooms, mustard greens and rhubarb there last week. so fun! any other seattle highlights making it to the Kitchn this week? : )
Oh yes! I miss this market, used to go there frequently when I lived nearby. Besides the great veggie and fruit selection, they also always had wonderful flowers. Several years back, there was a regular vendor who sold the best salsa I've ever had in my life.
The ballard market is wonderful! I purchased some of the best bacon I have ever had from skagit river ranch. And, when I am there, I always have to get a bag of freshly-made, warm donuts. Another bonus is all the wonderful retail shops surrounding the market.
@callmecordelia - if you haven't tried it yet, you should try sea breeze farm's bacon. it's spendy, but it really is the best ever.