When I visited my local farmer's market this summer I was surprised to see that this wasn't the boring parking lot full of stalls selling the same cucumbers, tomatoes, and other delicious yet conventional produce of my memories. Same hot parking lot, but there were definitely a few things that, even by themselves, made the experience worth it. 

A Pizza Oven with Wheels

beer, water, tea, coffee
Theresa Rathslag

When I went to the farmer's market this summer, there were way more spots to buy ready-to-eat food than I remembered. One of the most memorable was this pizza place that had the motivation to roll their entire, beautiful, turquoise-tiled oven out the door and onto the streets. I can't say whether the pizza was any good, but the sight of that shimmering mobile oven made my day.

Dogs

Reason enough to go pretty much anywhere, if you ask me. At every farmer's market you're guaranteed to find plenty of dogs—walking around, browsing the stalls, or chilling in the shade. You also might spot some cute stands selling homemade dog treats. Mini doggie pizza's anyone?

Knives? 

Need your knives sharpened? Check out your local farmer's market! Mr. Knife Sharpener has been at mine for years, although I just recently realized that he's there all day sharpening knives. I've yet to have my extensive knife collection sharpened by Knife Guy, but I'm sure that he does a better job than me and my mediocre knife-sharpening skills

Kettle Corn

cheese, beer
Theresa Rathslag

If there's a kettle corn stand at the market, it won't take you long to find out. The enormous, shining pot of kettle corn is one of the first things you see, and if you don't see it at first, you'll definitely smell it. As a dedicated kettle corn enthusiast, the freshly popped corn never fails to impress. It's no surprise that a place known for its sweet, crisp, fresh corn on the cob doesn't disappoint with the popped stuff.

Mango! On a Stick!

sausage
Theresa Rathslag

This was definitely the highlight of my farmer's market visit. This little stall didn't just have mangos on sticks, but it also had elotes on a stick (Mexican street corn) and a wide variety of tostadas. The elote comes covered in mayo and chili powder, and the mango comes with lime and chili. After I ordered my mango, the lady at the stall asked if I wanted chili (of course I did) and proceeded to carve my mango into a beautiful flower. It was delicious (except for the fact that I ended up brushing off most of the chili powder and went home with burning lips). Walk around your local farmer's market, and you're sure to find something equally unique and suprising.

It's Fresh, It's Local, and You Might Learn Something New

If it turns out there's no mobile oven, knife sharpener, or kettle corn at a farmer's market near you, there's always fresh and local produce. Not only does the food taste better than your run-of-the-mill grocery store produce, but the people who are selling it can tell you how to prepare it so you're not sitting at home, staring hopelessly at the 3 lbs of kohlrabi you just bought. Farmer's markets are fun. But don't take my word for it, go explore and find out.