By Boulder County Farmers Markets

Throughout Boulder County, buds are appearing on barren branches, spring bulbs are poking their heads out of the soil, and the sounds of bird songs are pointing in the direction of a beautiful Colorado spring.

But out of all the signs of spring, perhaps the most telling is the return of the Boulder and Longmont Farmers Markets on April 6. With over 170 vendors joining us this season, we’re thrilled to be back to providing our community with the highest-quality, locally-produced food in our region.

Time to dust off your market gear

It’s spring in Colorado, so it’s unlikely we’ll know what Mother Nature has in store for us until Saturday. Be sure to pack a few layers for your market trip and visit the Boulder and Longmont Farmers Markets to reunite with your favorite farmers, ranchers and small food businesses. While you’re getting ready, don’t forget to pack some other market essentials, like a reusable coffee cup for your morning drip from Fair Isle Coffee or Silver Canyon Coffee, a set of reusable silverware for a leisurely breakfast or lunch, and of course, grocery bags! We’re always striving to make our market a zero-waste event, and we count on your participation to make this a reality.

While you’re making your market list, be sure to leave one thing off: we have a pet-free “pawlicy,” so unless your pet is a service animal, we ask that you please leave them at home to maintain a healthy, clean and safe environment.

What’s new this season?

No two farmers market seasons are the same, and we’re incredibly excited to introduce more than 40 new vendors to the market this season.

At the Boulder Farmers Market, we’re excited to have Dry Storage joining us as a full-time vendor! Start your Saturdays with their mouth-wateringly delicious pastries and breads, all made from Colorado grains. We love the slight bitterness that comes from the rich grain flavors, and when combined with a touch of sweetness — like their cookies and chocolate croissants — it’s safe to say we know what our first purchase on Saturday will be.

In Longmont, check out the Schlop Stop in the food court. This new farm-to-food truck vendor is serving up a mix of American and Mediterranean dishes with ingredients sourced from their farm in Gunbarrel.

This is just a small preview of our long list of new vendors joining us this market season. Be sure to visit our website for our 2024 vendor lists, and to follow us on social media to meet more of our vendors throughout the season!

What can I expect to find at the market?

Boulder County Farmers Markets are local-only markets, meaning you won’t find any imported produce. Instead, you’ll be greeted with the most flavorful, cold-hardy produce, like a wide variety of salad greens including overwintered spinach, kale, lettuces and more. Assemble the perfect spring salad with fresh greens, Healthy Harvest olives and vinegars, and local cheese from Colorado Farmhouse Cheese Company, Moonhill Dairy or Westcliffe Cheese Company.

If you’re itching to start your garden, our farmers will also have a wide variety of plant starts to help get you started. Grown from seed in our community, these local plant starts are adapted to our local climate and ready to thrive in your home garden.

Want a preview of what to expect? We’ve partnered with Urban Field Pizza + Market in Downtown Longmont to create a Farmers Market pie, which will be on special all week! This pie will feature spinach from Rough and Ready Farm, mushrooms from Hazel Dell, onions from Aspen Moon Farm, goat cheese from Westcliffe Cheese Company, and microgreens from Kelly Jeans Microgreens for a veggie-heavy, delicious pie available now through Sunday.

Farmers Market hours and locations

Boulder Farmers Market: Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 6 through Nov. 23 and Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., May 1 through Oct. 2 at 13th Street and Canyon Blvd.

Longmont Farmers Market: Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., April 6 through Nov. 23 at the Boulder County Fairgrounds (Boston Ave. & Hover Street).