Opening Day at Lakeshore Park Farmers’ Market

One of my favorite things about the spring and summer months in East Tennessee is the plethora of fresh and local veggies and fruits available at the farmers’ markets. I love taking my kids to learn about locally grown and sourced foods, meet local vendors and learn about their farms, and best of all, come home with fresh, nutritious, and delicious fruits and veggies picked at the height of freshness.

Although we enjoying vising the downtown farmers’ market on Saturdays, I was excited to find out about the Lakeshore Park Farmers’ Market which is minutes from our home and within walking distance to one of my kids’ favorite playgrounds. It’s a perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon with the kids!

The Lakeshore Park Farmers’ Market is one of three markets offered by East Tennessee FARM (Farmers Association for Retail Marketing) and is open Fridays from 3-6pm, near the KYS building. Its two sister markets are the Knoxville, Ebenezer Road Farmers’ Market, open on Tuesdays from 3-6pm, at Ebenezer United Methodist Church and the Oak Ridge Farmers’ Market, open on Wednesdays from 3-6pm and Saturdays from 8am to noon, in Historic Jackson Square. All three markets will be open starting mid-April through late November.

According to FARM, at all three markets customers can find “sustainably produced grass-fed meat, hand-picked produce, farm fresh eggs, artisan bread and cheese, local honey, flowers and handmade crafts.”

The Lakeshore Park Farmers’ Market opened this past Friday, April 17th; my kids and I checked it out…and had a great time! We were welcomed by upbeat music coming from a local band, and the varied colors of stands selling wildflowers, herb and veggies starter plants, locally raised meats, eggs, yummy pastries and artisan breads! My kids LOVED the band’s music and together we decided on bringing home parsley and lavender starter plants for our herb garden!

We plan on visiting the Friday Lakeshore Park Farmers’ Market as often as possible this season. My kids and I have already determined why we love it:

• all of the freshly picked, flavorful, and nutritious in-season produce
• we want to support the local farmers who work hard to bring organic and non-GMO food to the community
• my kids get to help pick out the fruits and veggies
• we get to try fruits and veggies what we don’t typically find in grocery stores
• we get to shop outdoors! As I shared in my previous post about Knoxville’s farmers’ markets, I loved shopping at Italy’s outdoor markets as a child
• as part of the Lakeshore Park major update, they are in the process of building a brand new and fully accessible playground, just yards away from where the market currently stands…talk about a perfect combination!

Happy farmers’ market season, friends! Maybe we’ll see you at the Lakeshore Park Farmers’ Market sometime soon! For updated information about the farmers’ markets in the Knoxville area click here.