The Rochester Public Market is one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in the country. It started in the early 1800’s, and you can commonly find farmers who are fourth or fifth generation family members selling their goods to the Rochester farmers market.

In a sweeping victory for the city of Rochester, the Rochester Public Market beat out second place finisher the Davis, California Farmers market by over 2400 votes in the Americas’ Favorite Farmers’ Market contest in 2010. This annual national contest, sponsored by the American Farmland Trust, measures love for markets around the country by votes cast by fans of the markets.

If you have never experienced the Rochester Public Market first hand, it should be added to your bucket list. In fact, most of the visitors drawn to the public market do not live in the immediate area, and travel to the Rochester farmers market.

The urban based Rochester market has as many as 2.5 million visitors a year, and with over 300 vendors on a typical weekend day, there is something for everyone. Visitors site the Rochester farmers market as a place where you can get almost anything, from tons of different cultural backgrounds. Vendors sell everything from fresh produce and fish to knock off hand bags and sunglasses. Besides grocery vendors, there are also several incredible places to dine in, serving up everything from bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches to authentic polish pirogi and potato pancakes.

Prices at the public market are also incredibly competitive, as you can get an entire weeks worth of fresh produce for under twenty dollars, making the trip well worth it. If you are looking for something to do on the summer weekends, or want the freshest produce for your winter soups, the Rochester farmers market has everything you could ever need. Plus, 2.5 million visitors can not be wrong, can they?