Wisconsin’s farmers markets are great places to stock your kitchen with more than fruit and vegetables.
The obvious reason to shop at farmers’ markets in Wisconsin is to find farm-grown fruits and vegetables—but the best farmers’ markets offer so much more. For instance, perhaps you can scoop up a cool artist-made necklace (and support a local artist, too) or hand-blended teas to tuck away for the winter months?
What about olive oil, honey, maple syrup, or spices to tinker with in the kitchen as a pairing for the fruits and vegetables you also bought? A wedge of locally produced cheese to take on a picnic? Maybe a bouquet of fresh flowers for your dining table? Meats and eggs harvested from local farms are also typically sold at Wisconsin farmers markets.
From all corners of the state, Wisconsin proves it’s a leader in developing farmers markets that truly help farmers and artisans make a living. If you’re interested in knowing the vendors at a particular farmers market, check out the market’s website for a list published in the spring. Updates thereafter are usually published on the market’s social-media pages. All of this research ahead of time can help you plan for what you’ll buy.
Oak Creek Farmers Market
Held at Drexel Town Square, a newer area of Oak Creek—just look for the Meijer store on Howell and Drexel, then travel a block or two west—with a mix of restaurants, apartments, and city-government buildings (like the library), this is a large farmers market with more than 100 vendors on a given week. The market is hosted Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., from early May through late October. There are farmers, food-truck vendors, creators of culinary gadgets and prepared foods, and artists, too.
Examples of vendors catering to culinary-minded shoppers are Wisconsin Soup Company, Kelly’s Pot Pies, Dalla Terra Pasta (crafting dried pasta using Wisconsin-grown ingredients), and Creative Crusts Pizza (gluten-free, frozen take-and-bake pizzas). There are also at least two dog-treat makers: Magpie’s Dog Treats and Nana B’Nana’s Dog Barkery. (This is important since the market is dog-friendly.) In terms of handmade art, Les Petites Fees offers Japanese-inspired fanny packs, as well as a few candle makers.
Dane County Farmers’ Market
Everybody knows about the Dane County Farmers’ Market—the largest producer-only farmers market in the entire country—taking place on Capitol Square, but few have heard the buzz about what’s happening in the 100 block of State Street on market days (Wednesdays and Saturdays). Here you’ll find artist-run booths selling everything from cute onesies and graphic T-shirts that celebrate Wisconsin to eye-catching jewelry, as well as home décor linked to the seasons, such as succulents planted in cute tiny pumpkin planters.
Then, at the main market, beyond fruits and vegetables, pastries and cheese are for sale to snack on later. Among the cheesemakers at the market is Hook’s Cheese Company, which makes some of the state’s best aged cheddar.
Kenosha HarborMarket
This market in downtown Kenosha, near the lakefront (where 2nd Avenue meets 56th Street), is rare in that the vibe is just as vibrant in the first few weeks as it is later in the season, when it is peak time for harvesting fruits and vegetables. Among the unique vendors are St. Roger Abbey, whose nuns sell organic pastries, croissants, breads, and macarons using time-honored French baking techniques, as well as woven, colorful Fair Trade baskets (ideal for market shopping), sun hats, and fans.
You can also find fun, whimsical lawn art, often made out of recycled materials. This market kicks off in early May, runs through late October, and takes place between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Beloit Farmers’ Market
As Wisconsin’s second-largest farmers market—only the Dane County Farmers’ Market in Madison has more vendors—the Beloit Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday from May through October along Grand Avenue and State Street. The historic downtown buildings provide a nice backdrop for this time-honored weekend tradition, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025. Vendors start setting up at 8 a.m. and are there until 1 p.m. In addition to fruits and vegetables, there are meats, dessert breads, and cheese for sale that help round out one’s kitchen so you’re fully stocked.
As for the rest of the home, you can also buy handmade soap, wind chimes made from recycled materials, jewelry, and garden sculptures. There’s even an artist selling purses that she designs. This is a great market to scope out if you need gifts for upcoming birthdays, weddings, and the winter holidays.
Saturday Farmers Market
On Saturdays between 7 a.m. and noon, this section of downtown Green Bay (South Washington and Doty Streets) becomes even more vibrant once the vendors pop up their tents at the Saturday Farmers Market and start selling their wares. While fruits and vegetables are among the items sold by the 100-plus vendors, so are food-themed gifts and trinkets, such as dessert-shaped candles, dog-friendly donuts, honey, vegetable and plant starters, succulents, cat-themed merchandise, elderberry syrup, herbal tea, and body-care products made from goat’s milk.
This market is unique in that it first began in 1917 and continues to operate as a social hub, with live music, yoga classes (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.), a food court, and themed family-friendly days (like around Halloween). All of this takes place outdoors.
Eagle River Farmers Market
This popular Northwoods town—especially during the warmer months—offers another reason to hang out here: its Eagle River Farmers Market. The best part is that it happens twice weekly (Wednesdays and Sundays, between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.). The first market of the season is always in early May, and it runs until the first or second weekend in October, allowing plenty of time to celebrate what’s in season for fruits and vegetables and what artists and other creative vendors are eager to sell.
This includes woodworkers, fabric artists, potters, and ceramicists, plus those who make sauces, maple syrup, and jams. Another vendor crochets cute sun hats and sweaters for sale, and you can also buy woven raffia bowls to hold bread or fruit, or use them for colorful decor at home. A bag of kettle corn is a fun snack to enjoy later.
