Freedom Farmers Market has been serving Atlanta fresh produce, dairy, baked goods, and more for eight years. The market runs year-round from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm every Saturday.
Freedom Farmers Market's namesake is literal in two senses. First, the market operates in a mutually independent manner, meaning customers hold freedom in their shopping experience and vendors freely choose to partake in the market. Second, the market is located right off the Freedom Park Trail at the Carter Center.
I broke down my experience into four categories: produce, bakery, coffee, and fun. Let's dive in!
#1: Produce
Perhaps the most apparent benefit of farmers markets is getting to shop the fresh produce of the season. It's a great way to shop local and keep things fun! Freedom Farmers Market has a handful of produce stands, among which you can find a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some are more broad farm stands, whereas others, like Beech Creek Orchards, specialize in a product like apples. While there were many appealing produce stands, Snapfinger Farm drew me in, and I opted for a pint of snacking cucumbers.
#2: Bakery
Whether you are seeking to find your upcoming week's worth of baked goods or just looking for breakfast, bakery is a crucial part of any farmers market. Freedom Farmers Market covers pretty much everything from pastries to sandwiches to loaves and beyond.
Little Tart Bakeshop, an Atlanta bakery with multiple locations throughout the city, brings a full selection of pastries and bread. If nothing strikes your fancy there, head over to B-Side, the bagel shop alter ego of Decatur restaurant The Deer and The Dove. There you can try a delicious Montreal-style bagel or even buy a dozen to take home.
In addition to their traditional bagels, B-Side has unique offerings, such as onion-jalapeno-cheddar. They also have a great selection of baked goods, including but not limited to donuts, sourdough, focaccia, and brown butter cinnamon rolls.
#3: Coffee
Nothing completes the experience of walking around a farmers market on a brisk morning quite like a hot cup of coffee. I stopped by 1000 Faces Coffee at Freedom Farmers Market to get my coffee fix.
In addition to freshly brewed coffee, the stand also has beans for sale by the bag as well as 1000 Faces merch. This roastery and cafe is based in Athens but can be found weekly in Atlanta on Saturdays at Freedom Farmers Market and Sundays at Grant Park Farmers Market.
#4: Fun!
This last category may seem arbitrary—that's because it is. In my opinion, one of the best parts about visiting a farmers market is stumbling upon unique stands and discovering products you weren't expecting to find. Freedom Farmers Market has plenty in this department, my favorite of which is Georgia Grinders.
This Chamblee-based company produces a wide variety of nut butters, both traditional flavors as well as specialty and seasonal flavors, all of which are made from simple, natural ingredients. At the market, they had about 15 nut butters for sale, all available for sampling. After trying a few, the maple caramel almond butter won me over, and I decided to take a jar home.
Overall, I had a lovely experience at the Freedom Farmers market; there is something for just about everyone, including a live band, as pictured below. If you were looking for a weekend activity, I would definitely recommend a farmers market trip, whether that be to Freedom Farmers Market or a different one! A few others to try are Morningside, Peachtree, or Piedmont Park, all of which also run Saturday mornings.