Countryside Public Market

Countryside Public Market ties shopping to a larger food-systems mission: the organization behind it is a 501(c)(3) that promotes a resilient, sustainable food culture through local food programs and educational workshops. In Akron, that mission lands in a year-round Sunday market in the Northside District of Downtown Akron, giving the market a steadier rhythm than seasonal pop-ups. Countryside has connected people, food, and land throughout Northeast Ohio since 1999, and the Public Market remains one of the ways that work reaches shoppers directly.

Why it matters locally

Since 1999, Countryside has connected people, food, and land throughout Northeast Ohio, and the Public Market is part of a wider set of local food programs rather than a standalone weekly event. The organization’s work includes re-establishing farms in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, running farmers markets in the greater Akron area, and educating citizens about the importance of local food systems. Its advisory committee also guides food access programs and other local food projects, linking market shopping to broader decisions about program strategy and sustainability. That local focus is reinforced by named staff roles dedicated to farmers’ markets, local food programs, and sustainability programs.

What you'll find there

Countryside Public Market emphasizes an actively managed farmers market program with room for ongoing vendor participation, not a fixed once-a-year roster. The strongest product clues point to farms, heritage livestock, and local food producers shaped by Countryside’s broader agricultural work.

• -Find farm vendors joining on a rolling basis at Countryside Public Market.
• -Look for producers connected to Countryside’s local food and farm network in Northeast Ohio.
• -Expect heritage-breed livestock and related farm products among Countryside market offerings.

Countryside also runs related markets at Howe Meadow on Saturdays, at Highland Square on Thursdays in summer, and a winter market at Old Trail School, which helps place the Public Market within a larger regional schedule. Countryside’s strongest through-line is continuity. The Public Market runs on Sundays year-round in Downtown Akron’s Northside District, while the same organization also cycles through Howe Meadow, Highland Square, and Old Trail School across other days and seasons. That makes this market feel less like an isolated stop and more like one expression of a larger local-food calendar. The nonprofit framework sharpens that impression: Countryside describes educational workshops that promote a resilient and sustainable food culture, and it pairs market operations with food access programming and farm development work. Even its vendor process reflects hands-on cultivation, with new farm applicants scheduled for farm visits by the market manager.

Know before you go

Parking is the detail most likely to shape your arrival. There is plenty of free public parking near Countryside Public Market, but some nearby business lots are reserved for customers only, so it helps to orient yourself to the parking map before heading in. The market is at 21 Furnace Street in the Northside District of Downtown Akron. Dogs are not allowed, which matters if you usually pair a market stop with a walk. If you need to reach staff directly, the market lists Alicia as site manager, and Countryside also names Serena Jones as Farmers’ Market Manager.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted at Countryside Public Market, and Countryside also highlights Produce Perks and WIC Carrot Cash within its food-access programming for the market. That emphasis fits the organization’s broader local food and food access work, which extends beyond weekly selling into larger access initiatives.