If you live in Richmond and you haven't folded a farmers market into your week, you're leaving one of the best parts of the city on the table. Here's what to expect, when to go, and how to spot the good ones.
Peak season runs May through October. June strawberries and August corn are worth planning your Saturday around; winter markets still show up with squash, apples, root veg, honey and preserves.
Go hungry. Nearly every market worth its salt has food trucks or ready-to-eat stalls, and lunch at the market beats lunch anywhere else.
Just-picked produce is the headline act, but the supporting cast is what keeps people coming back: local honey, farm eggs, cut flowers, sourdough and baked goods, small-batch preserves, and usually a cheese or charcuterie stall doing brisk business.
Buy what's in season and you'll eat better for less — strawberries in June are a different fruit than the clamshell ones in February.
Most markets open Saturday mornings and wind down early afternoon. The sweet spot is 9 to 11am: full stalls, decent parking, and the samples are still out. Canada doesn't have one big federal directory, so the Dayfari app is honestly the faster way to see what's on this weekend.
Market days and hours change with the season — the Dayfari app keeps track of what's actually on around Richmond this weekend, plus other local events worth the trip.