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Amish Markets and Farm Markets
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is a beautiful county. There are spacious open spaces and farms as far as you can see. If you keep your eyes peeled, there are lots of small farm-stands sprinkled along the road to take in the local goodness. The issue though is you must find them, and they may not always have what you are looking for. The solution is something else that is very popular within the county, Farmers Markets.
Farmers Markets in Lancaster are pretty abundant. They come in all shapes and sizes from
smaller indoor markets to larger markets and outdoor markets. A full exhaustive list of all the markets would be almost impossible. Since we are only a hop, skip, and jump from the area though, we thought we would share some of our favorites.
The Green Dragon Flea Market – Ephrata (open Fridays)
They always say start with your best foot forward. So that is why we are starting with The Green Dragon Farm Market. This is Pennsylvania’s largest farmers market. There are multiple buildings as well as acres of outdoor space. There is a large variety of items available to purchase. There is fresh produce, homemade baked goods, fresh-pressed apple cider, and so much more. There is also a leather shop where they make belts the traditional way and cut them to fit while you wait. They also feature two local wineries, a spice stand, and more. Most of these vendors have a consistent space and are there every week.
There is also a large flea market-style area where you can find just about anything you can imagine. This space is full of “regular” vendors. That means you can find them week in and week out. There are quite a few we frequent every time we go. If this is your first time in the market, make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to explore all the spots. Because we frequent the market somewhat regularly, we can hit our favorites and get in and out relatively quickly when we need to, but usually, we will take our time to see all that the market has to offer.
If you are looking to eat while you are there, there is no shortage of food stands. We always get a giant pretzel and lemonade. We also stop at Lapp’s Ice Cream. This is one of my favorite ice cream places ever. The ice cream is freshly made with local milk from Lapp’s Dairy Farm. We have also sampled the stuffed pretzels and eaten at many of the other food stands. Many of these stands have been there for as long as we have been coming (almost 30 years) so you know they must be good.
The Green Dragon Market also has a large auction and an animal auction. Even if you are not looking to bid, it is neat and educational to go in and just observe the happenings. Listening to the auctioneer is fascinating to me so that makes it even more interesting.
Lancaster Central Market – Lancaster City (Open Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday)
Lancaster Central Market is the oldest, continuous public market in the entire country. Founded in 1730 on 120 acres of land, this market is truly a sight to see. There are over sixty stands in the market. They range from restaurants to farm stands, to bakeries, and so many others. The farm stands feature lots of fresh meats, produce, dairy, and all the other farm-fresh items you might be looking for. This market is also in a building so visiting this farmers market in Lancaster can happen any time of the year and no matter the weather.
Roots Country Market and Auction – Manheim (Open Tuesday year-round rain or shine.)
Roots Market in Manheim is another large farmer’s market. It has ten buildings as well as an outdoor area for vendors to be set up. This market is similar to Green Dragon Market in that there are a ton of vendors, and you can find almost anything you can imagine here. They have the basics like produce and farm stands, but they also have toy stands, candy stands, candles, and all sorts of other fun things to check out. This market is another one that due to the size, you should make sure you give yourself plenty of time to explore all the buildings and vendors.
Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market – Bird-in-Hand (open in summer Wednesday – Saturday and winters Friday-Saturday)
Bird-in-hand Farmers Market is a quainter market. It is housed in one smaller building. They feature lots of local items. There is produce, baked goods, a candy shop, and more. We always get a cup of fresh apple cider (only 25 cents) when we walk in the door. There are also a couple of small restaurants in the space to fill your belly with all the local favorites. While this market is smaller than some of the others on the list, it will quench your thirst for a farmers market in Lancaster. And one advantage is since it is indoors, no matter what time of year or weather conditions, you can always go to this market.
Our Final Thoughts!
There are a lot of Amish markets and farmers markets in Lancaster, Pa. They are full of great things to buy and eat. These markets are worth visiting, and you should plan your day to allow yourself the time to see everything. One other tip we would offer is to bring a small pull-behind cart.
Since some of these markets are expansive and there are so many great things to buy, you will either find yourself making a lot of trips to the car or very full arms. Having a small cart helps to make the trip a little easier. Farmers Markets in Lancaster are a lot of fun. We love going to them and make a point of taking them in as often as we can. We hope you do too!
While you’re in the area, check out our post about Stoltzfus Meats and be sure to visit!
