La Grande Farmers' Market

La Grande Farmers' Market has been part of town life since 1980, and its move to Max Square in 2003 gave it a lasting downtown home at the corner of 4th and Adams. Under manager Julie Keniry, the market became a nonprofit with help from Oregon Rural Action, and that shift made the market’s produce eligible for EBT/SNAP benefits and WIC vouchers. That blend of long history, downtown visibility, and food-access programs gives this market a clear shape: a seasonal Eastern Oregon market built around produce, practical shopping, and public use of Max Square.

Why it matters locally

Sally Snyder and Sandy Roth started the La Grande Farmers Market in 1980, grounding it in La Grande long before it settled into its current Max Square location. The market’s later nonprofit structure, developed under Julie Keniry with Oregon Rural Action, expanded what shopping here could do for local households by making produce eligible for EBT/SNAP benefits and WIC vouchers.

The market also frames its role around keeping fresh, local food accessible and funding Double Up Food Bucks, which matches SNAP dollars so families can stretch their food budgets further. That mission sits alongside a 40-plus-year run in La Grande and a downtown setting that keeps the market visible in daily civic life.

What you'll find there

Produce sets the tone here, with a long roster of farms bringing vegetables, fruit, berries, eggs, flowers, seeds, and nursery stock, while prepared foods and handmade goods round out the square. The mix also includes meat vendors, pantry items, coffee, and local organizations, so a market trip can cover groceries, gifts, and a few non-food stops in one pass.

• -Pick up farm fresh vegetables and fruit from Val's Veggies.
• -Find seasonal salad mixes and farm fresh vegetables at Nella Mae's Farm.
• -Look for berries, vegetables, fruit, honey, and eggs from Platz Family Farms.
• -Shop Aichele Farm for seasonal berries including strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
• -Browse a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables from Maria and Jose Martinez Gardens.
• -Expect orchard fruit and berries from Key Family Farm.
• -Try fresh produce, salsa, and fruit from Aimme's Garden.
• -Bring home seasonal produce and fresh cut flowers from Evergreen Family Farms.
• -Add cut flowers alongside seasonal produce from Mia's Garden.
• -Start a garden with succulents, plant starts, fairy gardens, and bonsai trees from ReGrowth Nursery.
• -Source regionally adapted regenerative garden seeds, plus seasonal eggs and garden goods, from Dora’s garden.
• -Stock up on grass raised lamb, beef, pork, and farm fresh eggs from W Bar Ranch.
• -Choose ranch raised, natural, aged beef from Bingham Beef.
• -Grab homemade tamales from Gardenia Tamales.
• -Pick up pastries and baked goods from Power of Voodoo Pastries or sourdough breads from Nana B Bakes.
• -Pour coffee from Stray Cat Coffee and browse barrel aged balsamic vinegar and dressings from Gianni's Fine Foods.
• -Shop handmade soaps, lotions, paper goods, and cards from Laurilin Designs.
• -Browse jewelry and tie-dye accessories from Trippy Hippy Artifacts or Designs by Sharry.

Seasonal events add extra reasons to time a visit. Kids Day invites young makers, bakers, and growers under 16 to sell for free, while other Saturday programs include a Fruit Pie Festival, a Salsa Festival, a Fall Harvest Festival, and quilt shows with the Eastern Oregon Modern Quilt Guild. At La Grande Farmers' Market, one strong thread is how often the square turns into a stage for seasonal participation rather than simple browsing. Kids Day invites children to sell handmade crafts, baked goods, or homegrown produce, with no booth fees for youth under 16, and the market repeats that idea across multiple seasons and dates. The calendar also leans into hands-on, place-based events: a Fruit Pie Festival with homemade fruit pies for purchase, a Salsa Festival with competition and entertainment, and a Community Harvest Festival tie-in with apple cider pressing. Even the Saturday music schedule reinforces that public-square feel, with named performers booked across the season and stage and electricity provided.

Know before you go

No dogs is the clearest planning detail for this market, so leave pets at home before heading to Max Square at Adams Avenue and 4th Street. The market runs seasonally from May 9 to October 17, with two shopping windows each week: Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon and Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m..

This is a downtown market in Max Square, a location the market established as its home in 2003. Some vendors note pre-order availability, farmstand pickup, or delivery, including Val's Veggies, Nella Mae's Farm, Platz Family Farms, Maria and Jose Martinez Gardens, and ReGrowth Nursery. Restrooms are not available on site.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted at La Grande Farmers' Market, and the market ties that access work to its Double Up Food Bucks program, which matches SNAP dollars so families can stretch their food budgets further. The market’s produce also became eligible for WIC vouchers after the nonprofit transition under Julie Keniry.