Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in January 2014 and updated in January 2018.
Held outside from the spring through the fall, this market moves inside the Public Works Building when winter arrives. Take advantage of leaner crowds and connect with area growers to learn about their farming practices.
161 South Charlotte Street
Asheville, N.C. 28801
Saturdays, January 6-March 31
9 a.m.-12 p.m.
With roots that trace back to 1874, this farmers market is one of the oldest in the state. We suspect that back then artisanal breads and goat cheese spreads weren’t such hot commodities, but those items are two good reasons to shop here this winter.
501 Yanceyville Street
Greensboro, N.C. 27405
Saturdays, January-March
7 a.m.-noon
The comforts of this town’s outdoor farmers market may take the edge off the morning chill. Despite having to rise early, on Saturdays in downtown Matthews, you can shop for hearty greens, root vegetables, fresh eggs, and honey.
188 North Trade Street
Matthews, N.C. 28105
Saturdays, December-March
8-10 a.m.
Charlotte seems to like new things, and this farmers market is no exception. It opened in 2010 in one of the city’s fastest-growing neighborhoods, South End. This urban market offers produce, baked goods, crafts, and coffee.
2104 South Boulevard
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Saturdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Durham’s culinary gurus stock their kitchens with goods from this market. Though shopping here may not make you Wolfgang Puck, if you attend a cooking demonstration, your collard greens may taste better.
501 Foster Street
Durham, N.C. 27701
Saturdays, December-March
10 a.m.-noon
With Vivian Howard’s Chef & the Farmer restaurant and Mother Earth Brewing nearby, the locally grown produce and fresh baked goods available at this market fit Kinston’s food-loving identity. Howard, now a PBS TV star, even leads the occasional cooking demonstration.
100 North Herritage Street
Kinston, N.C. 28501
Tuesdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Across the globe from Vietnam, effects of the war reverberate through the state, where social and political perspectives are shifting quickly and dramatically.
These places are the stewards of some very special items: Doc Watson’s first recording, the desk Virginia Woolf used to redefine the novel, and Elisha Mitchell’s pocket watch are just some of the cherished pieces that teach us about our state’s history and the people who preserve it.
From burgers to comfort food to elegant entrées, the range of plant-based dining in North Carolina is growing. Restaurants on this list are exclusively vegetarian and/or vegan.
