Dane County Farmers' Market — Local services in Madison

The Dane County Farmers' market is one of the largest and longest-standing farmer's markets in the country. It is held every Saturday in the summer on the capitol square in downtown Madison and indoors at the convention center during the winter (though much reduced in size). It is truly an incredible experience with everything you can imagine under the sun. Along with the farmers' stands, there are also food and refreshment stands and other activities to take part in as well. When the weather is right, it makes for a very enjoyable day. It can become quite crowed, particularly as the day goes on, so getting there early is always advisable. While it is technically handicap accessible because it is outdoors, you definitely want to keep the crowds in mind. On nice days, as it gradually becomes more and more crowded, it can become challenging to navigate with a wheelchair, stroller, etc. Because it is located in the street around capitol square, there is no parking directly on site, but there is plenty of public parking and surface lots within a couple of blocks of the square itself. Remember to bring some cash. While many of the vendors will accept credit cards, some do not and your life will be much easier if you have some cash on hand. The farmer's market in downtown Madison truly has a fun, festival feel to it. It is a local tradition and with other things to do in the area (university campus, restaurants, theater, lakes, children's museum, etc.) you can truly make a day of it. I would highly recommend you come out and experience it yourself! Be sure to bring re-usable shopping bags or a backpack, because you are certain to go home with...

I love this farmer's market. There is an amazing selection if fresh, reasonably priced produce (some items are unique that you do not see in grocery stores) and a variety of other products such as baked, canned, pickled, bottled goods (like oils, sauces, jams, honey), soaps, dairy and meat products, flowers, etc. Believe me when I say it's pure magic. It is also an amazing place to purchase locally-made gifts for loved ones. If you have time. Visit the Capitol and go up to the observation deck or support local businesses by taking a gander down to one of the many restaurants nearby for brunch.

A few pieces of advice: Arrive early due to crowding The crowd generally moves in one direction, try not to go against the current. This way you can scope out prices and see what everyone has to offer before making decisions. Bring a hat and sunscreen -- it can be tough to be in and out of the market (that's part of the fun though) If you're not from the area or coming in from the suburbs, there will likely be a bit of traffic if you arrive mid-morning. Parking garages, etc. will commonly be quite full. Be prepared to spend a bit more time than you expected and have a backup plan for parking.

It would be really nice if there were more vendors selling coffees/refreshments, although collectivo is across the street on one corner. I did see smoothie carts and one bakery that offered drinks and baked goods last weekend (August). There's also a convenience store across the street. But I would really like to support a local brand.

Perhaps I arrive too late, but I'd love to see more bakeries with loaves of bread. The line for Stella's is...

overall a wonderful farmers' market! 5 stars because i love and appreciate that every single stall here is a local business. as for the individual items i've tried:

the potato buttermilk donut = 3/5. tastes nothing like potato nor buttermilk but still, very nice texture and conceptually really fun!

spicy cheesy bread from stella's bakery = 4/5. YOU HAVE TO GET IT WHILE IT'S STILL HOT. it just doesn't hit the same when the cheese has all hardened up. not spicy at all & the distribution of cheese could be better (so much cheese concentrated in the center!), but very, very delicious! worth the hype.

maple butter = 3.5/5. very pricey, but it IS organic and locally made. tastes just like maple syrup, just thicker, and is perfect for toast!

spicy honey= 4/5. has the perfect amount of spice, and the flavor of honey is much deeper than conventional, store-bought spicy honey, which i really appreciate. just a bit costly.

traditional bialy from mermaid bagels = 4/5. really, really chewy and amazing caramelized onions! just a tad bit expensive ($5).

potato kamut roll and cheddar chive scone from cress spring bakery = 4/5 and 4/5. the potato kamut roll was nice and hearty and had actual potato chunks in it!! the cheddar chive scone had a wonderful blend of flavors that complemented each other perfectly--the saltiness from the cheese and the herbiness of the chives particularly worked extremely well together. i didn't find the texture that appealing (a bit doughy and too soft for me).

plain drinkable yogurt from schroeder kase = 4/5. you can tell this stuff is top quality dairy. just a tad bit expensive for a small...