Philadelphia farmers markets: Headhouse, Rittenhouse Square and Clark Park

Philadelphia has a strong farmers market tradition, and the markets are useful for visitors as well as residents: they are places to eat breakfast, buy picnic food and see what grows in the region. Three well-known markets are the place to start, along with what is in season and how to plan. Market days, hours and vendors change, and some markets run only in certain seasons, so look at the market's own page before you go.

Which farmers markets are the best known?

Three markets are the best known. Headhouse Farmers Market sits at 2nd and Lombard Streets in Society Hill, beside a historic open-air shed. The Food Trust, which runs it, lists Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and says it is open year-round. Rittenhouse Square Farmers Market, at 18th and Walnut Streets, runs on weekdays and Saturdays. Clark Park Farmers Market, at 43rd and Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia, has a year-round Saturday market, according to Visit Philly. Hours change by season, so use each market's own page.

What can you buy at a Philadelphia market?

Expect fruit and vegetables from farms in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, plus bread, pastries, cheese, eggs, meat, fish, honey, flowers and prepared food. Many markets have coffee, and some have stalls selling breakfast sandwiches, tamales or baked goods. At Headhouse, you can combine a market visit with brunch nearby. Clark Park's market sits in a neighborhood park with benches, so a bakery pastry and a coffee is an easy breakfast.

What is in season each month?

In general terms: spring brings asparagus, rhubarb, greens and strawberries. Early summer brings cherries, peas and herbs. Midsummer to early fall is the high point, with tomatoes, corn, peaches, blueberries, peppers, melons and eggplants. Autumn brings apples, pears, squash, pumpkins and cider. Winter markets focus on root vegetables, apples, baked goods, meat, eggs and storage crops. Pennsylvania's mushroom country is in Chester County, so mushrooms are available much of the year. The exact weeks shift with the weather, so ask the farmers what is best this week.

How do you shop at a market?

Arrive early for the best choice, or late for possible discounts. Bring cash and small bills, though many stalls take cards. Bring bags and a cooler in summer. Walk the whole market before you buy anything, then return to the stalls you liked. Ask for a taste when it is offered. If you have a short stay and no kitchen, buy ready-to-eat items: bread, cheese, fruit and a pastry make a good lunch.

Do markets take SNAP and food assistance?

Many farmers markets in Pennsylvania accept SNAP benefits through an electronic card, and some offer programs that match the value of benefits spent on fresh food. The Food Trust, which runs Headhouse, has long worked on access programs. Rules and offers change, so check the market's information booth or website.

How do you get to the markets?

Headhouse is within walking distance of Center City and Society Hill, and the subway has stops nearby. Rittenhouse Square is in the middle of Center City, near several bus and subway lines. Clark Park is reachable by trolley from Center City. Parking is limited near all three, so use transit or walk.

What else is worth doing nearby?

Combine Headhouse with a walk through Society Hill and a stroll along the waterfront. Combine Rittenhouse Square with a coffee and a sit in the park. Combine Clark Park with a meal on Baltimore Avenue, where there are Ethiopian, Indian and Mediterranean restaurants. If you visit Reading Terminal Market, which runs year-round, you get an indoor version of the same idea, with stalls from Pennsylvania Dutch farm families.

What should you know about the weather?

Markets run rain or shine, though attendance falls in heavy rain, and some vendors do not come in extreme weather. In summer, go early to avoid the heat. In winter, dress warmly and check whether the market has moved indoors. Holiday weekends may bring special hours or closures, so check before you go.

If you plan to cook, ask the farmers how they would use an unfamiliar item. A grower of Pennsylvania apples will often tell you which variety suits pie, which suits eating and which keeps best in the refrigerator. A cheesemaker may offer a taste and suggest a pairing. A baker can say what goes stale fastest and what freezes well. Those conversations are a large part of the value of a market, and they cost nothing. Bring a list, but leave room for something you did not plan to buy.

If you are traveling, a market is a good place to buy gifts that travel well, such as jam, honey, maple syrup, dried herbs or packaged baked goods. Ask whether an item needs to stay cold, and pack it with care. Many vendors will wrap items for a flight if you ask.

How do you keep track of what you tasted at Philadelphia markets?

A market morning is a string of small tastes: a peach, a loaf, a wedge of cheese you promised yourself to find again. Mosey is a food app for finding, rating and sharing places to eat, and it rates by the dish, so you can score the sourdough and the cider separately and add tags such as Must-Try.

Start a list for the three markets, share its invite link with a friend who shops Sundays while you shop Saturdays, and follow each other so the best stall finds show up in both feeds. Mosey also runs seasonal food votes, which suit a market town where the menu follows the weather.

Rate your favorite market bite in the Mosey app before it slips your mind.

More guides to read next:

• Philadelphia Chinatown food guide: Race Street, dim sum and late night
• Where to eat late at night in Philadelphia: Chinatown, diners and bars
• Philadelphia food halls: Gather, Wonder and Reading Terminal Market

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