Markets in Philadelphia
March 9, 2023
For a true “local” taste of Philadelphia, be sure to visit one of the city’s many farmers markets. At each, you will find meat and produce sourced from farms and orchards in Philadelphia’s surrounding counties in addition to crafts, art, and other delicacies made within the city.
Reading Terminal Market
Reading Terminal Market dates back to 1893 and is housed in a National Historic Landmark building. It is also one of the largest and oldest public markets in the U.S. and consistently regarded as one of the best farmers markets in the nation. The 130-year-old Reading Terminal Market in Center City boasts over 80 merchants selling fresh produce, breads, meat and fish along with a wide variety of gourmet prepared foods that are perfect for a quick lunch on the go. You can also find several Amish specialties as well as locally made crafts and jewelry, all just steps from the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Headhouse Farmers Market
Found at the intersection of S. 2nd and Lombard streets is the nation’s oldest surviving Colonial-era marketplace, the Shambles. Here, 18th-century Philadelphia residents would shop for fresh produce and other goods, something still practiced to this day with the weekly Headhouse Farmers Market. Visit on Sundays throughout the year to find farmers and local businesses selling fresh produce and other goods. Popular Kennett Square restaurant Talula’s Table regularly has a spot here and food trucks often line the cobblestone streets surrounding the market.
Rittenhouse Farmers Market
Open on Tuesdays and Saturdays year-round, the Rittenhouse Farmers Market lines the sidewalks around the picturesque square with a large selection of meats, cheeses, and vegetables from regional farmers, as well as local honey and beer. You will also regularly spot Amish vendors selling Pennsylvania Dutch baked goods, flowers, and other items.
Fitler Square Farmers Market
Not far from Rittenhouse, Fitler Square hosts a small sidewalk market each weekend. The star of this Saturday market is Brogue Hydroponics, a farm that uses cutting-edge technology to grow fresh and wholesome produce pesticide-free. Be sure to pick up some grass-fed beef and lamb, fair trade coffee and some fresh-from-the-oven pies and tarts.
Italian Market
The 9th Street Italian Market in South Philadelphia. Photo by K. Huff for PHLCVB.
Head to South Philadelphia to find the Italian Market – America’s largest and oldest continuously operating open-air marketplace – along S. 9th Street, from Wharton to Fitzwater streets. Here, you’ll find cheese shops (including the quintessential DiBruno Bros.), fish and meat merchants, and dozens of outdoor stalls bursting with colorful, fresh produce. Today, you will also find vendors selling Asian and Latin American specialties alongside the market’s original Italian occupants.
Fairmount Farmers Market
Found adjacent to the historic Eastern State Penitentiary, Fairmount Farmers Market fills the neighborhood’s namesake avenue each Thursday afternoon with locally roasted coffee, fruits from nearby orchards, Jewish baked goods, kombucha, and more.
Cherry Street Pier
The 2019 Food Trust Market at Cherry Street Pier. Photo courtesy of Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.
Once a municipal pier, Cherry Street Pier along the Delaware River waterfront now serves as a mixed-use space, housing artist studios, art exhibitions, and pop-up markets and events. The pier regularly hosts a series of artisan pop-ups featuring jewelry, clothing, gifts and more from local makers, in addition to farmers markets. Food trucks are also never far away and are often parked within the pier itself. Be sure to check Cherry Street Pier’s Upcoming Events webpage prior to visiting for an up-to-date schedule of events.
