Des Moines Farmers Market

DSM Farmers Market is my favorite part of living in Des Moines!
I love the hustle and bustle and the random music and screaming people yelling about religion! It’s a riot!
I have my vendors that I must visit, Grade A Gardens and Cleverly Farms for food! And for plants I love Busy Bee! They’re grrrrreat!
I have so many memories of visiting the farmers market in Des Moines. Definitely a favorite pastime!

Des Moines has a great farmers market! The vendors do a great job of offering a lot of different options for produce, food, and craft items. Last trip there I got my usual cinnamon roll from Uncle Wendell’s, these are amazing and usually large! We also tried the Pupusa from an El Salvador vendor, these taste very authentic and delicious. Only downfall maybe sometimes it gets to crowded, but that means it’s good and fun. We skipped the Dutch letters and fudge filled cookies this time from Vander Ploeg, but those are must try’s also. The farmers market is a great staple in Des Moines.
The Say Cheese stand has great grilled cheese options on a tasty bread can’t go wrong here.

It simply boggles the mind that so many people congregate around the stand selling nothing even remotely close to farm raised produce/​meats. Why get up at 8 am to go sit on lawn chair outside the stand selling the most unhealthy thing at the market? Oh, because that’s how Iowa rolls. Buy some veggies, people. Seriously. Pizza, breakfast burritos and the like don’t belong, but in Iowa, that’s how we roll.
I’d personally rather go to the market and have the farmers selling produce/​meats separated from the unhealthy, artery blocking, disgusting garbage that I go to the farmers market to avoid.
There are a handful of Hmong/​SE Asian vendors that I simply adore and a nice selection of grass fed, organic meat vendors. Go early to avoid the masses and get good parking.

You MUST stop by the farmers market at least once. There have to be hundreds of vendors, with fresh fruits and veggies, fresh cut flowers, and places to buy local goods and foods. So many good foods.
Tips:
Bring cash
Wear walking shoes
Only bring a stroller if you’re a masochist
If you don’t want to wait in lines, go at 7.
There will be many many dogs

Best and largest farmers market I have ever been to. Parking is super convenient and you don’t have to pay unlike others I have been to. You can find anything you want here from crafts, to produce to baked goods.
There is also a wide variety of hot food vendors.
There isn’t much shade but vendors have helped with tons of awnings and tents.
There are blocks and blocks of vendors and also super convenient stations like a help booth in the middle selling official products like reusable shopping bags. And also a Unity Point medical tent.
I would highly recommend getting here early for ease of walking around. It gets packed the later you go. Also this market is dog friendly! As long as it is on a leash.
This is an awesome place to spend a Saturday morning!