If you’re looking for a fun Saturday morning activity or a way to directly support your community, the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market is the spot. Rain or shine, the farmers market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 720 N. 5th St. With a wide variety of local vendors, attendees can grab everything from weekly grocery essentials to skincare products and even a cute new sweater—all supporting local companies and helping the community grow.
This past Saturday, I attended the farmers market and compiled a list of my 10 favorite vendors. It was difficult to do, especially since each booth had amazing products and stories. This list is tailored to my liking, so some might not agree with the ones I favored. But, nonetheless, these are great vendors who sell amazing products so, if you’re free this Saturday, you should check it out!
Without further ado, here are my top 10 favorite Phoenix Farmers Market vendors.
1. African Everything
This beautifully authentic booth immediately caught my attention. With their stunning baskets, bags, accessories, toys and much more, they had customers coming in and out of their booth—always leaving with a smile and something new that will add color and culture to their lives.
African Everything is an African import business started by Mary Ogwel. Her dying mother requested that she do something to help women come together to step out of poverty in Kenya. Ogwel began her company in the early 1990s in Seattle, Wash.. Ogwel travels to Kenya annually and imports handmade wall paintings and baskets from Kenya as well as other parts of the continent, such as Ghana, South Africa, Madagascar, Mali and Tanzania. Ogwel and her family travel across America to sell their products.
When you purchase from African Everything, you help women weavers and their villages to aid them in escaping poverty so they can provide better food, healthcare and education for them and their families.
To learn more about African Everything, their story and their products, visit www.africaneverything.com or booths 39 and 40 at the Phoenix Farmers Market.
2. Arizona Bread Company
This booth immediately caught my eye. When I entered the market, I noticed the long line and limited loaves of bread. I knew right away that this was a fan favorite. Many market attendees mentioned that the Arizona Bread Company, a family-owned company, was the only bread that they bought; the sample I tasted confirmed their reasons why. The bread was high quality and fresh, which is something that you cannot always find in a regular grocery store.
The Arizona Bread Company opened in 1994 and immediately became a premier bakery/cafe in Scottsdale. The Scottsdale location offers bread, soups, gourmet sandwiches and desserts. At their farmers market booth, they sell their award-winning breads that are made with only the freshest ingredients. They use no preservatives, additives, conditioners or bases.
If you are craving fresh, high-quality bread, look no further. Find them at the Phoenix Farmers Market at booths 26 and 27. Staff are extremely friendly and are more than happy to assist customers and attendees with questions. Arizona Bread Company offers a wide variety of breads that are sold at both their Scottsdale location and at the Saturday market. For more information about the Arizona Bread Company, visit www.arizonabreadcompany.com.
3. Bad Dog Salsa
If I am anything, I am a salsa lover. However, I am picky when it comes to recommending salsas to others or even buying a new one. Bad Dog Salsa has officially made it on my salsa list. This salsa did not disappoint, and each flavor was as good as the last. Their salsa was so fresh and flavorful, I bought a jar and have been putting it on everything—no joke!
Bad Dog Salsa had rave reviews all around the farmers market and everyone wanted to go back for seconds after trying a sample. Bad Dog is a faith-driven company that believes God placed them on Earth with a purpose to help in any way they can. They donate 10% of every sale to breaking the chain of human trafficking.
Visit Bad Dog Salsa at booth 57 to get some amazing salsa and to support a good cause. You can also visit their website, www.baddogsalsa.com, for more information.
4. Gia’s Raw Juice, LLC
Looking for a new raw juice spot? Look no further. Gia’s Raw Juice offers raw, unpasteurized, fresh-pressed, local and organic juices that will refresh and nourish you. They offer wellness shots, juices, blends and food items. My personal favorite was the pineapple blend, which consisted of pineapple, apple, lime and mint.
Gia’s juices were nearly gone by the time I got to them at booth 67, and many around the market were talking about how it is one of their first stops on Saturdays. All blends are sold for $7 at 8 oz and $11 at 1 oz.
To shop or to find more information about Gia’s Raw Juice, visit giasrawjuice.com.
5. LOOK. SEE. DRAW.
Aileen Martinez is a born-and-raised Phoenician with a talent for drawing colorful places around Phoenix and the Valley. Martinez sells and displays her art at the Phoenix Farmers Market at booth 31. Her work is stunningly eye-catching and one of a kind, making her pieces perfect for a sentimental present or a memorable item from a special day or trip.
If you are looking for a unique piece of art, check out Look. See. Draw at the Phoenix Farmers Market, on Instagram @look.see.draw or online at www.lookseedraw.com.
6. Mi Salsa and Catering
As I was walking around the market, I heard rave reviews about the Mi Salsa Catering grilled burritos. Everyone seemed to have a burrito in hand. They offer two breakfast burritos, both consisting of eggs, potatoes, beans, cheese and one with chorizo and sausage. They also have veggie, vegan, chicken and carnitas burritos. Additionally, water, soda and tea is for sale as well as their Mi Salsas, a perfect mix of flavor and spice.
This is a great breakfast or lunch spot to add to your Saturday routine for a price of $10/per burrito at booth 90. For more information on Mi Catering, visit @micatering on Instagram and @misalsa_az for Mi Salsa.
7. Mushrookie
I was a bit hesitant about trying a mushroom cookie at first, but man was I surprised. These cookies are AMAZING! They taste just as good as a regular cookie but have healing and health benefits from different mushroom types. The cookies include Lions Mane, which is good for your cognition and memory; Tremella, offering anti-aging benefits; Chaga, for immune system health; Cordyceps, with stamina performance benefits; and Turkey Tail, for immune boosting.
Andrea, the founder and creator of Mushrookie, began her Mushrookie journey during COVID-19. The free time that the quarantine gave allowed her to try out new things, like mixing her two passions: baking and mushroom medicine. She began by adding a gram of mushroom to a sugar cookie and it worked! The rest is history.
Mushrookie has four different cookies out for sampling: White Out Sugar Cookie, Cruiser Chocolate Chip, Back Country Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat and Avalanche Chocolate Chip Cherry Almond. Each cookie is $4 and the variety box, which includes stickers, is $18. Visit Mushrookie at booth 68 or on Instagram @mushrookie_theogcookieco.
8. Redemption Market
This local social impact boutique offers a wide range of merchandise, from clothes to jewelry to home decor and everything in between. Not only do they have a great selection of items, but proceeds go toward making a difference in the world. Redemption Market supports anti-trafficking efforts, new schools in developing countries and employing refugees. Their products alone caught my attention, but their story truly made an impact on my farmers market experience.
The name Redemption comes from “taking some of the darkest, saddest situations on Earth—those that some intend for evil, and redeeming them for good. To redeem the dignity stolen from a trafficked girl…to redeem the purpose of someone trapped in a cycle of poverty. This is something that is nearly impossible for one person to accomplish, but working together we can really make an impact,” as stated on Redemption Market’s website.
Redemption Market carefully chooses their products by making sure each one is fair trade and sustainable, made by independent and local artists, comes from women-owned businesses, is beneficial to the world and environment, and aligns with the issues that Redemption Market supports.
To learn more about Redemption Market, visit redemptionmarket.com or follow them on Instagram @redemptionmarket. To shop in person, visit the Phoenix Farmers Market booth 33, The Mercantile of Phoenix or The Mercantile of Scottsdale.
9. Simple Blossom Skincare
This Arizona-based skincare store offers natural, vegan and organic skincare products. Their products are made in Arizona using clays and plant extracts from the Arizona desert. Simple Blossom Skin Care does not test on animals and is proud of their fresh, small-batch products because, according to their website, “skincare matters.”
Creator Beth Rouin, originally from San Diego, Calif., but now a proud resident of Chandler, Ariz., offered fresh samples of her products at the farmers market. Rouin’s scrubs and moisturizers left my skin feeling fresh, soft and with no irritations.
Check out Beth’s Simple Blossom at the Phoenix Farmers Market at booth 32 or online at www.simpleblossomskincare.com.
10. VintageOats
VintageOats is a premium granola line that started out of “complete faith and desperate pursuit of PURPOSE,” Ciara Bennett, founder and CEO of VintageOats, wrote. They have six signature flavors that are healthy and delicious.
Their granola is gluten-free, using oats that are grown, harvested and processed in a specific way to keep them separated from other grains. VintageOats granola contains maple syrup, which is high in antioxidants but also offers nutrients, like riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Thegranola also contains coconut oil, which improves the levels of lipids circulating in the blood to potentially reduce the risk of heart disease.
You can visit VintageOats online at www.vintageoats.net and at the Phoenix Farmers Market at booth 17. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!
Each and every booth at the market has its own story and product that has the potential to impact you! Support local business and make a direct influence on Saturdays at the Phoenix Farmers Market. For more information about the Phoenix Farmers Market, visit www.downtownphoenixfarmersmarket.org.
Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market photos by Samantha Bell
