Quebec City Farmers Markets by Neighbourhood

Quebec City farmers markets run from a year-round public market near the Videotron Centre to small summer markets in Limoilou, Saint-Sauveur and Saint-Jean-Baptiste, according to the city's tourism office. Pick the one nearest where you are staying, go early with a bag, and eat something on the spot before you shop.

The tourism office's list is the most complete in English, and its dates are the ones this guide follows.

Which Quebec City farmers markets are open year-round?

The tourism office names Le Grand Marché de Québec, near the Videotron Centre, as open year-round, with extra outdoor stands in summer and fall and a Christmas market from late November to the end of December. It describes fine chocolate makers, a brewpub, coffee roasters, fishmongers and butchers among its vendors. Treat that list as a snapshot and check the market's own page, because tenants change.

What is the Grand Marché de Québec like?

A public market in the modern sense, with permanent stalls rather than tables. The Grand Marché de Québec suits a rainy day, because it is indoors, and it suits a food shopper who wants to buy cheese, fish or coffee in one trip. Walk it once without buying, note the stalls that draw a queue, check which vendors are open that day and then buy what you came for. Fish, cheese, chocolate and coffee are the easy things to carry home. Ask a vendor what is local and what is from further away.

Is there a Limoilou Sunday market?

Yes, in summer. The tourism office lists the Limoilou farmers' market on 3e Avenue between 8e and 9e Rue, every Sunday from mid-July to mid-September, with local farmers and artisans. The Limoilou Sunday market pairs well with a brunch in the neighbourhood, as described in the Limoilou guide. Dates move with the season, so confirm before you travel.

What about the Saint-Sauveur Saturday market?

It is smaller and has more music. The tourism office lists the Saint-Sauveur farmers' market in Parc Durocher, on summer Saturdays, selling fresh local products with musical performances. The Saint-Sauveur Saturday market is the kind of place where you buy one thing and stay for the band. Bring a bag and arrive before the music if you want the best produce, then stay for a coffee on the grass if the weather is kind.

Which summer markets in Quebec City are worth a visit?

Besides Limoilou and Saint-Sauveur, the tourism office lists Le P'tit marché SJB on the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church square, every Saturday from late June to mid-September, selling fruits, vegetables, coffee, pastries and artisan creations, and the Sainte-Foy farmers' market near Avenue Roland-Beaudin, from mid-May to early November in an indoor pavilion. These summer markets in Quebec City are all neighbourhood affairs. Dates change, so read the current listing.

How should you shop at a Quebec City market?

Go early, carry a bag and bring something to put a jar in. Small bills are handy at the stalls, and most vendors are happy to let you taste before you buy. Ask what is in season: strawberries and early greens in June, corn and tomatoes later, apples in autumn. Look for vendors who will tell you where the produce was grown, and try what is offered. If you are visiting from abroad, check what you may carry home before you buy. The Quebec fall harvest guide covers the province's autumn markets.

How do the markets fit a trip to Quebec City?

Use them to anchor a morning. A market in the early hours gives you breakfast, a walk and a shopping bag before the rest of the city wakes, and the afternoon is free for museums or the old walls. If you are renting a kitchen, buy the evening's ingredients and a pastry for the road. If you are not, eat at the stalls and take photographs rather than shopping. Weekend markets run on fixed days and seasons, so plan around the day of the week first, then choose the neighbourhood. In bad weather, the year-round public market is the safe choice, and the summer markets are best left for a dry day. Ask a stallholder for a recommendation for lunch nearby, because people who sell food usually know who cooks well in the neighbourhood, and a local tip is worth more than any list.

How do you keep track of what you buy and eat?

Rate the dishes you eat at the market and note the stalls you liked. In the Mosey app you can rate a pastry, a cheese or a lunch plate by the dish, tag the place Market Stall or Bakery, and save the best stalls to a list called Quebec City markets. Follow friends to see what they rated and saved, and use Explore the map to find where you were.

Where else should you eat in Quebec City?

The Saint-Roch guide covers the Lower Town, the Canadian food guides show every city, and the Quebec food worth a drive guide covers the countryside.

After your market morning, open the Mosey app, rate the best thing you tasted and add the stall to a list of favourites.