Northwest Crossing Saturday Farmers Market — Local services in Bend

Sometimes when we travel to new places we wonder how to meet the locals and learn what they are generally about and the vibe that they exude. Well if you’re ever in Bend, Oregon (and are wondering the same thing) we’d recommend giving their Farmer’s Market in the Northwest Crossing neighborhood a try.

If I were to overly simplify the local vibe I’d describe it as laidback. Not like the SoCal surfer mindset where most things are deemphasized in importance (“Dude, you should just chill!), but more like the quality of life mindset where living and appreciating each moment carries great value (“Man, isn’t it great to be HERE right now?”). Clearly participating in the proverbial “rat race” holds little value in this place.

Hosted every Saturday (June-September, 10:00-2:00) you’ll find a wide array of unique booths to stroll by. You might expect the fresh produce, but may be surprised by the honey, gourmet mushrooms, grass fed beef, pies, hummus, and soaps. The emphasis here is on the local products that they proudly produce.

We heard about the Farmer’s Market from several of the locals and they suggested that spending 2 hours is pretty typical. While we wondered if that might be more than we needed, we found ourselves losing track of time because we became immersed in meandering about just soaking up the atmosphere and chatting with the locals (both the attendees and the vendors).

If we lived here I think we might just come back every week!

And that’s…Henry’s...

There are two kinds of farmers' market shoppers: 1) the window shopper looking to kill a couple of hours gazing at the multitude of goods on display and 2) the diehard shopper who needs to replenish the larder for the week ahead.

Northwest Crossing Saturday Farmers' Market is for shopper 1). This is a relatively large venue loaded with goods and products that extend way beyond the weekly menu ingredient list. If this is your thing, I recommend it. Hats off to the care and consideration put forth to Covid-19 based precautionary measures, by the way.

If you are looking for more of a grist-format driven market which features organic produce and non-conventional style animal products without all the fluff (shopper 2)), I suggest checking out some of the other market offerings in the area...ahem, Bend Farmers' Market on...

From dresses to salmon and steelhead... there's more than just fruit, jewelry, pastries, gf bakery items, art, and food in store for you. Lots of produce, dog treats, CBD items, and as much alcohol to sample as when strolling through a touristy street in Mexico (though here the distillery and vineyard options are varied and sophisticated!). Excellent variety- Bend prices- ($6 for a half bag = $1 a doughnut for mini doughnuts when they're here, $6 for a half pint of berries, $18 for a 1/2 lb. of smoked salmon). Za Zen has quality dresses and some good deals- and if you split the deal with a friend- it's a great deal to buy the hummus, yogurt, ...