Emporia Farmers Market

Waters Hardware is part of the market’s yearly rhythm, hosting Emporia Farmers Market’s indoor markets while the main outdoor season runs downtown at 8th Avenue and Merchant Street. The market lists a 43rd outdoor season, with Saturday mornings from May through October and Wednesday evenings in the warmer stretch from June through September. In one market, that adds up to spring produce, plant starts, farm fresh eggs, coffee, baked goods, meat, honey, and artisan goods from a vendor-produced roster where sellers grow, make, or bake what they bring.

Why it matters locally

The vendor-produced rule is the clearest sign of what Emporia Farmers Market protects: vendors must grow, make, or bake the products they sell themselves. That keeps the market tied to the people behind the food and goods, from growers bringing lettuces, spinach, radishes, carrots, beets, and herbs to makers offering coffee, baked items, textiles, and art.

The market’s local shape also shows up in its partnerships and seasonal setup. Outdoor shopping happens in the downtown 7th & Merchant parking lot area, while indoor markets are hosted by Waters Hardware and supported by The Emil Babinger Charitable Trust. That combination gives Emporia a recurring place to buy directly from growers, bakers, and artisans across more than one season format.

What you'll find there

The mix runs broad without losing its farm-market center: produce, eggs, meat, honey, coffee, baked goods, and artisan work all appear in the current vendor directory. The strongest throughline is direct-from-vendor food, with a secondary lane of handmade household goods, wearables, and prints.

• -Find honey, apple cider, and Kansas-made specialty food items from The Orchard.
• -Pick up jellies and vegetable or herb plant starts from Mators and Tators.
• -Look for farm fresh eggs and meat cuts from Circle 7 by Fuller Farms.
• -Sip into locally roasted coffee beans from 11th Lane Roastery, which also brings chocolate-covered espresso beans, honey, and honey products.
• -Shop meats and cheeses from The Breadman Vault.
• -Gather lettuces, spinach, radishes, plus oyster and shiitake mushrooms from Farm Jeanne and Dennis Heins.
• -Stock up on lettuces, carrots, radishes, beets, and herbs from Four Dogs Farm.
• -Browse Warm Buddies, eye pillows, lavender sachets, Catnip Kickers, stickers, jewelry, and art prints from The Natural Element.
• -Choose gluten-free, vegan, and traditional cookies, cupcakes, breads, spiced nuts, scones, and brownies from Go Forward Foods.
• -Sort through stitched potholders, bandanas, coin purses, and similar sewn goods from the vendor listed under that name.
• -Buy chicken and produce from Hadley Heritage Farms.
• -Add another honey option with Blessed Bees.
• -Find artisan work from Mystical Designs.
• -See artisan hats from Hats of Joy.

Know before you go

No dogs are allowed, which is the detail most likely to change how you plan your trip. For parking, head to the outdoor market lot at 7th and Merchant in downtown Emporia. The market location is given as 8th Avenue and Merchant Street, so the shopping area and parking guidance work together around the downtown Merchant corridor.

The market reports about 60 vendors, so the directory reaches well beyond a handful of stands. There are no restrooms listed in the visit details. If you want the winter pattern in mind, indoor markets are held at Waters Hardware at 2727 W. Highway 50 on the first and third Saturdays from November into spring.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted at Emporia Farmers Market. The market also identifies payment information as clear in its visitor details, which helps if you’re planning purchases across produce, meat, baked goods, honey, and artisan vendors. With a vendor-produced market, payment access matters because the roster spans both staple foods and prepared baked items.