Athens Farmers Market, LLC

Nuci’s Space provides the sound equipment for the live music that happens at each Athens Farmers Market, a detail that says a lot about how this market ties food shopping to Athens culture. The market runs a Saturday market at Bishop Park and a Wednesday market at Creature Comforts Brewing during the main season, giving shoppers two distinct settings across the week. Founded after two UGA graduates pushed for a farmers market as part of Athens-Clarke County’s 10-year plan, it has roots in a specific local effort to build a stronger food system in Athens.

Why it matters locally

The market’s origin story starts in 2007, when two UGA graduates argued that a farmers market was essential to a more cohesive Athens community and turned that idea into part of the ACC Gov 10-year plan. That makes Athens Farmers Market more than a weekly retail setup; from the beginning, it was framed as civic infrastructure built around local food and agriculture.

Its board structure also reflects the range of work behind the market. Board seats include grower representatives Rita O’Brien, Josh Johns, and Sara Skinner; arts and crafts representatives Matthew Mewbourne and Diane Perry; a meat, eggs, and livestock representative, Chad Mote; prepared food representatives TC Jayalath and Jon Ramsden; and community representatives Monica Bledsoe and Jewell Cox. That mix shows the market is organized around multiple parts of the local economy rather than a single vendor type.

What you'll find there

Athens Farmers Market emphasizes a broad seasonal mix rather than a single specialty. Its vendor materials describe a wide selection of locally grown fruits and vegetables, eggs, and meats, and the market says vendor applications cover Saturday, Wednesday, and winter seasons.

• -The market describes a wide selection of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
• -It also lists eggs as part of the regular product mix.
• -Meats are included in that seasonal lineup as well.

Live music happens at each market, with set times for both Saturday and Wednesday. A free Children’s Booth runs weekly with rotating hands-on activities, and cooking demos happen multiple times a month. Seasonal favorites include the Strawberry Pie Eating contest, AFM SLICED, Squash Car Racing, and the Halloween Market, plus a separate Holiday Artist Market on Small Business Saturday.

Know before you go

The biggest planning detail is that Athens Farmers Market uses different locations during the week: Saturdays are at Bishop Park, while Wednesdays are at Creature Comforts Brewing. If you are heading to the Saturday market at 705 Sunset Drive, parking is available throughout Bishop Park, with overflow parking in the gravel lot by the tennis courts off Sunset Drive.

Dogs are welcome, but the rules depend on where you are. At Bishop Park, dogs are allowed outside of the pavilion and can be under the pavilion only if they are in arms; they are not allowed on the tennis courts. On Wednesdays, dogs are allowed in the outdoor patio area at Creature Comforts. The market also operates a winter market season in January and February on Saturdays, with different hours from the main season.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted at Athens Farmers Market, and the market works with Wholesome Wave Georgia on SNAP-related programs and doubling SNAP dollars. Payment information is presented clearly for visitors, which is useful when planning a larger produce or meat shop.