As we approach the beginning of summer, farmers markets and roadside stands will begin to fill up with a lot of fresh produce. It’s a great time of year to shop at local farmers markets, and if you’ve never been, you may be surprised by what you find. The five state-operated farmers markets host a number of special events and commodity days. This weekend, look for special events taking place in Raleigh and Colfax.
The State Farmers Market in Raleigh will hold its annual Blueberry Day celebration today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Farmers Building. June is the prime growing season for N.C. blueberries, and there will be a bounty of locally grown beauties to sample and purchase at the market. Visitors also can stop by the event booth to pick up a free blueberry dessert sample, courtesy of the State Farmers Market Restaurant. In addition, marketing staff will be available to provide nutritional information and recipes for you to take home.
For those interested in an event with more meat, take a trip to the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market. The market will host its annual Crawfish Day and Wing Festival Saturday. The N.C. Crawfish Association will sell live and cooked crawfish starting at 10 a.m. In addition, local restaurants will compete for bragging rights during Wing Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can purchase wing samples and enter a chicken-wing eating competition. All proceeds will benefit The Arc of High Point.
In addition to these special events, the state markets will have a large selection of produce available. Here’s a roundup of some of the items you can expect to find this weekend:
- WNC Farmers Market: field tomatoes, squash, plums and cherries
- Piedmont Triad Farmers Market: blueberries, tomatoes and peaches
- Charlotte Regional Farmers Market: tomatoes, strawberries and peaches
- State Farmers Market: blueberries, sweet corn, field tomatoes and squash
- Southeastern N.C. Farmers Market: blueberries, potatoes, squash, zucchini and tomatoes