Valley Junction Farmers Market

The Historic Valley Junction Foundation anchors this Thursday market in one of West Des Moines’ named historic districts, giving the evening a setting tied directly to Fifth Street and the surrounding Valley Junction business area. Valley Junction Farmers Market runs on the 100 and 200 blocks of 5th Street in West Des Moines from May through September, with an 80-vendor claim that points to a sizable weekly footprint in a compact downtown-style corridor. The combination of a defined street setting, evening hours, and a long-running district identity makes this feel less like a parking-lot stop and more like a weekly use of the neighborhood itself.

Why it matters locally

Historic Valley Junction is central to how this market presents itself: the market sits inside that district, uses Fifth Street as its main spine, and is tied to the Historic Valley Junction Foundation rather than a standalone fairground or park organizer. That local grounding shows up in the wider calendar around it. The same district hosts Gallery Night, the Valley Junction Arts Festival, Valley Junction Pride!, Pumpkin Walk, Jingle in the Junction, and Spring Sale-A-Bration, placing the farmers market inside an established schedule of neighborhood events rather than treating it as a one-off seasonal program. Even the market-night add-ons stay district-specific, with Music in the Junction and Yoga in the Park extending activity beyond shopping alone.

What you'll find there

What stands out here is the market’s scale and the way it layers family activities and themed nights onto the produce-shopping window. The vendor count claim reaches 80, and the official market materials emphasize tools for navigating weekly placement as well as kid-focused programming during market hours.

• -Valley Junction Farmers Market brings together up to 80 vendors on market Thursdays.

Rev It Up Car Show Nights are scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Thursdays from May through August, adding a recurring themed event to part of the season. The Lil’ Sprouts Play Patch and Kid’s Zone give children games, toys, activities, and picnic-table space during the market.

Know before you go

No dogs is the clearest planning detail to know before heading to Fifth Street. Parking is easier than the street-closure setting might suggest: the district offers more than 900 free public parking spaces, with directional signs guiding drivers to lots off 4th and 6th Streets and pedestrian walkways connecting those lots to activity along 5th Street. Restrooms are available, which matters for a market that runs four evening hours and includes child-centered activity areas. If you are trying to locate a particular seller on a given Thursday, the market directs shoppers to use its interactive map to find weekly vendor locations. One seasonal wrinkle is September: market materials note the market operates on the 100 and 200 blocks then, while the broader season references the 100 to 300 blocks earlier in the run.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted at Valley Junction Farmers Market, an important option for shoppers planning food purchases here. Payment methods are clearly presented for visitors, which helps if you are deciding how much cash or card use to expect before arriving on Fifth Street.