Ohio Valley Farmers Market - Bellaire

Ohio Valley Farmers Market traces its start to 1979, after area citizens and farmers spent months organizing a market for the region. Today, that long-running market operates along the Ohio River in Bellaire, behind the WVU Bellaire Health Center, with a mission centered on giving existing farmers and small businesses a place to market their goods. The Bellaire setting and the mix of farm vendors, bakers, and makers give this stop a distinctly Ohio Valley shape, with produce and proteins sharing space with small-batch pantry goods, crafts, and weekly family programming.

Why it matters locally

The market began when area citizens and farmers met with the Belmont County Extension Agent in 1978 to form a farmers market, and it opened for its first season the following July. That origin still matters in Bellaire because the market’s stated mission is to provide a venue for existing farmers and small businesses to market their goods. Its current riverfront Bellaire location continues a history that includes relocation from the old county fairgrounds in St. Clairsville and the growth of a second market in St. Clairsville, showing an organization built to serve the wider Ohio Valley rather than a single parking lot.

What you'll find there

The vendor mix runs wide without losing its farm-market center: fresh produce, eggs, meats, mushrooms, flowers, and houseplants sit beside scratch baking, teas, preserves, soaps, and handcrafted home goods. That breadth makes this market useful for a grocery stop, a bread-and-sweets run, or a browse through locally made gift items in the same visit.

• -Pick up blackberries, peaches, apples, produce, annual flowers, and planters from Bud's Produce.
• -Find quail eggs, pasture-raised non-GMO poultry, free-range non-GMO eggs, grass-finished beef, and lamb at Manna & Quail Homestead, LLC..
• -Shop naturally grown produce and gourmet, exotic, and specialty mushrooms from Rufener Farms.
• -Look for specialty pumpkins, pumpkin products, sunflowers, houseplants, and cookbooks at Twelve Oaks Produce.
• -Choose scratch-made baked goods from Hilltop Home Bakery and Farmstand.
• -Grab sourdough bread and danishes from Rustic Kneads.
• -Browse baked goods, fruit pies, croissants, cakes, and cookies from Take Me Home Bakery.
• -Sip from 14 types of organic teas at Evelyn's Totally Terrific Teas.
• -Stock up on jams, jellies, butters, seasonings, dried herbs, and dips from River Vue Gardens.
• -Add homemade soap, natural products, and resin jewelry from Buttercup Ridge Farm.
• -Bring home woodcrafts, ornaments, trays, home decor, and personalized engraving from Creekside Designs.
• -Check Dragon Beard Prints for 3D printed items plus laser-engraved glass and wood.

Weekly features extend beyond shopping. Kids Corner offers activities about nature and how food is grown, the Tasting Tent serves authentic farmers market products prepared on site by the market’s chef, and the customer loyalty program adds one stamp per market day.

Know before you go

Parking is in the lower lots of the WVU Bellaire Health Center, and the market is set behind that health center along the river, so first-time visitors should head for that complex rather than a downtown storefront. The address is at 32nd Street and Union Street in Bellaire, and the market’s current location is described as along the Ohio River. Dogs are not allowed, and restrooms are not available, two details that can shape how long you plan to stay and who comes along. At the entrance, the Market Tent also serves as a practical stop for coffee or tea, card processing, SNAP processing, newsletter sign-up, and the loyalty program.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP is accepted at the market, and the Market Tent manager processes both charge cards and SNAP cards at the entrance tent. That same tent is also where shoppers can sign up for the customer loyalty program and the weekly Veggie Tale email newsletter.