Ashe County Farmers Market

Ashe County Farmers Market runs with visible backing from the Town of West Jefferson, which supports the lighted, covered shelter that holds 35 vendor spaces. In West Jefferson, that gives the market a built-in sense of place: the shelter meets the Backstreet, and the market also uses a grassy area above the structure through First Baptist Church for added vendor space, parking, and special events. The market opens its 27th year on April 11, with Saturdays running from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM through the season. The setup combines a fixed downtown structure with overflow room nearby, which can shape how a Saturday visit flows.

Why it matters locally

The Town of West Jefferson’s support for a lighted, covered shelter with 35 vendor spaces gives this market a permanent physical footprint rather than a pop-up setup. First Baptist Church adds a large grassy area immediately above the market structure for additional vendor space, parking, and special events, extending how the site can function on market day. Those two local partners are named right into the market’s operations, tying the Saturday market closely to West Jefferson’s downtown fabric and nearby institutions.

The market also presents itself as a local food connection point, inviting questions about vendors, upcoming events, and becoming a vendor, while describing its work as fostering a vibrant local food community. Its support base reaches across Ashe County businesses and farms, with sponsors that include Big Horse Creek Farm, Highland Meadows Cattle Co, Snowset Farms, Triple Peaks Farm, Vargas Family Farms, and Woodbine Natives alongside other local businesses.

What you'll find there

For this market, the clearest emphasis is fresh, local food alongside handmade goods, with the season launch explicitly inviting shoppers to expect both. The named businesses around the market also point to a mix that reaches beyond produce alone into nursery stock, pottery, candles, woodwork, livestock, and alpaca-related farm goods.

• -Opening day highlights fresh, locally grown produce.
• -The season kickoff also calls out handmade goods.
• -Look for nursery-related offerings reflected by Mountain Paradise Nursery and Woodbine Natives.
• -Find pottery connected to Grassy Creek Pottery.
• -Expect woodwork represented by Blossom Blessings & Joe’s Woodwork.
• -See candle goods tied to Nature’s Light Candle.
• -Farm-based products are suggested by Pendle Alpacas, Highland Meadows Cattle Co, Snowset Farms, Triple Peaks Farm, and Vargas Family Farms.

Opening Day on April 11 marks the start of the market’s 27th year and the return of the Saturday market from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Know before you go

No dogs are allowed, which is the detail most likely to change plans before you leave home. Parking is relatively straightforward once you arrive: customers can use ample on-street parking along the Backstreet and side streets, plus parking at First Baptist Church. The market itself sits at 108 Backstreet, where the shelter meets the street, and additional market activity can extend into the grassy area above the structure.

Restrooms are available on site, which matters for a longer Saturday browse. If you like to orient yourself before walking the rows, the market also maintains an interactive online map that can be opened on a phone and used to see whether a favorite vendor is at the market and where they are set up that week. Tina Hubbard is listed as the market manager.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted here, and the market gives that program enough prominence to feature SNAP/EBT and WIC/Seniors FMNP directly in its main navigation. WIC cards are distributed through the Appalachian District Health Department, and Senior FMNP vouchers are distributed through the Generations Ashe Center. Payment methods are presented clearly for visitors planning purchases.