City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Annual Events & Festivals

Telephone: (515) 286-4928

Insider Pick:

Description: One of the city’s most popular offerings for residents and visitors alike, the market brings together produce stalls, food vendors, and arts and crafts booths, packed along 4 blocks on the south side of downtown and spilling onto the side streets on Sat mornings. The market officially opens at 7 a.m. and runs until about noon. Bring an extra bag or two—while vendors usually provide bags, you never know what you might find, and it can be easier to carry everything in one sack. There are several restaurants and cafes along the market’s streets that make for a nice spot to take a break from shopping—this really is one of the more impressive farmers’ markets you’ll see, with a veritable bounty of fruits, vegetables, breads, cheeses, meat, and other foods spilling over tables on the sides of the streets. Musical performers often set up along the streets, particularly close to the Polk County Courthouse at the western edge of the market. Park either in a downtown garage or at meters on nearby side streets—it’s worth looking for a space south of M. L. King Jr. Parkway, then walking the few blocks to the market.