Independence Farmers Market

Kids Day
2022-06-24 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | 1908 Courthouse lawn
Join us for fun free activities for Kids of all ages June 24th. Kids Day was the first event ever held at the Market. It started in 2012. Join Andrea Wann and the Virginia Family Nutrition Program for KIDS BUCKS sponsored by Molina Health Care. The 1st 25 kids to the Market get a $10 coupon to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables, and eggs.

Fiber Day June 17
2022-06-17 09:00 - 13:00 | Courthouse Street
We are happy to welcome the talented fiber artisans back to the Market for the first of 2 Fiber Days. This is always a wonderful chance to buy totally original handcrafted items for yourself and for gifts. You can also buy yarn and even raw wool and if you are interested in raising animals for fiber, these are the folks to ask. Save the date for the 2nd Fiber Day August 19.

Opening Day, May 6, Mother's Day Craft Fair
2022-05-06 09:00 - 13:00 | Courthouse Street
Surprise, we are opening a week early so we can celebrate all the wonderful women in our lives on Mother’s Day. We will be opening on Courthouse street this year. In addition to our usual vendors, we’ll be joined by other craft artisans as well. We are looking forward to moving to Town Park under the new pavilion sometime this season.

This will be our 15th year! Thanks to Taffney Taylor Collins, Maureen Madden and Carol Lundgrun for starting the Market back in 2008. We are planning a full slate of events and are planning to bring back Cooking with Chef Jen once a month when we move to Town Park. Kids Bucks will continue this year as well. Stay tuned for more opening day events.

Here’s to a wonderful 2022 Market season.

Nutrition Day- June 4
2021-06-04 09:00 - 13:00 | Independence Town Park
Join Andrea Wann of the Virginia Family Nutrition Program and Sandy Stoneman of VA extension for healthy recipes using fresh Farmers Market products.

Cook the Kit
2021-05-28 09:00 - 11:00 | Independence Town Park
Join Arwen Cayton of Matthews Living History Farm Museum for Cook the Kit. Everything you need to make a delicious breakfast or dinner of grits and greens with sausage and eggs in kit form. Each box contains a recipe, a link to the cooking video, a colander, spices, butter and parmesan, plus fresh, local ingredients. The boxes are completely free to the 1st 13 families with kids. You do need to fill out an information form so Arwen can write a report for the grant she received from the Twin County Community Foundation, the supports of this event.

2nd Winter Market and Chili cook-off
2020-12-05 11:00 - 14:00 | Independence Town Park
The Farmers Market is back in Town Park Saturday December 5 from 11 am to 2 pm for our 2nd Winter Market and Chili Cook-off. Enjoy free kids activities, shop for delicious local products and beautiful crafts and stay for the Parade and Town Activities.Be sure to enter or judge the Chili Cook-off. A $5 ticket lets you taste all the chili and vote for your favorite, we had a dozen entries last year, so it’s a bargain.
FREE to enter, bring your chili to the Market by 10:30. $100 1st prize! Thanks to our Market sponsors Skyline Bank, the Town of Independence, Grayson County and the Matthews Foundation and River Ridge Farm. This is the last day to pick up your pre-ordered Christmas trees and wreaths from Brookgreen Farm.

First Winter Market
2020-11-27 09:00 - 13:00 | Independence Town Park
The Farmers Market is back in Town Park Friday November 27 from 11 am to 2 pm for our 1st of 2 Winter Markets. Kick off the Holiday season by shopping locally for delicious local products and beautiful crafts. Enjoy free Kids activities at the Market This is the first day to pick up your pre-ordered Christmas trees and wreaths from Brookgreen Farm.

Cooking Day
2020-09-04 09:00 - 13:00, 2020-08-07 09:00 - 13:00
Join us the first Friday of the month, beginning in June, for Cooking Day. We make an array of dishes from whatever is available at the Market. Learn how to cook fresh, local food. Samples are available and donations are appreciated.
Chef Jen will cook a recipe 3 times during the Market at 10, 11 and noon. There will be a random drawing each time among participants and the winner will take home a bag with the featured recipe and all of ingredients to cook at home.

Fiber Day and Christmas In August Craft Fair
2020-08-21 09:00 - 13:00
Last Fiber Day of the season. Don’t miss it! The Blue Ridge Fiber Guild will join the weekly Farmers Market. This is a great opportunity to purchase yarns, roving, raw fiber, baskets, and an array of knit, woven, and felted goods. Come and meet the artisans who often raise the animals providing fiber for the handmade items in their booths. Feel free to ask questions about farming with sheep, goats, alpacas, and rabbits, and see demonstrations of how raw fiber is turned into usable products. In addition, this is a second Craft Day to feature local artisans and kick off the Christmas season. Seriously, we are starting early this year to list our pesticide-free trees and wreaths from Brookgreen Farm since we will ONLY be taking On-line orders again this year. And it’s never too early to support your neighbors by shopping locally.
BrookgreenFarm

Grayson County Fair
2020-08-08 09:00 - 15:00
Join us for the 3rd Grayson County Fair! The 2020 Grayson County Fair will be held Friday August 7 from 6-8 pm and Saturday August 8 from 9am to 3 pm at Bottomley’s Farm and Evergreens in Elk Creek. We made great strides last year with more exhibits, vendors, and livestock categories. This year look for more vendors and demonstrators and fun stuff for the kids to do. It’s fun and easy to join the fun and enter one (or more!) of the exhibit categories.
Do you have livestock? The Youth Livestock Show has poultry and goat shows in addition to the sheep, dairy and beef cattle shows. Do you raise bees? Enter the Honey Show. Are you an artist? The poster contest is for you. Do you like growing things? There are several competitions that might appeal to you: fruits, vegetables, flowers and plants, and field crops. Do you like to bake or can? Enter the food preservation and food preparation competitions. You can also enter Arts and crafts, photography, needle arts, including quilts, knitted, crocheted and sewn items. Crafts include baskets, beading, leather, jewelry, and woodworking. There are several Art categories as well.
Please visit the web site, www. graysoncountyvaagfair.com. Click on the “General Competition Book” for the full listing. We hope you’ll be inspired to join the fun.For more information, please contact: Kristina Banks, (276) 773-2471-Office, (276)768-9706-Cell, kbanks@graysoncounty.va.gov

Tomato Festival
2020-08-07 09:00 - 13:00
The Tomato Festival features a People’s Choice tomato salsa contest, free tomato tasting, Monster Tomato Weigh-in

This is your chance to sample all the different varieties we sell at the Market for free. You can also enter the People’s Choice salsa contest and Monster tomato weigh in. Prizes for the Salsa contest are $100- first, $30 second, $20 third. A big thank you to our generous sponsors; Matthews Foundation and Skyline Bank. The Weigh-in is a winner take all $100. Please someone, ANYONE, grow a bigger tomato than Jen Cavey!

Bring a quart of salsa to the Market by 9:30 am, everyone is invited to taste and vote for the winner to be announced at noon. Bring your tomato to the Market by 11, weighing at noon. Abby will have free kids activities at the Kids Corner from 10-11.

Take a Break from the Interstate
2020-07-24 09:00 - 13:00
Join us Friday July 24th for “Take a break from the Interstate, the annual HWY 21 yard sale. In addition to our regular Farmers Market, it’s the only day we let vendors sell things they have not grown or made themselves. You never know what you’ll find!

Berry Festival
2020-07-17 09:00 - 13:00
Join us and sponsor River Ridge Organics for the 8th Annual Berry Festival Friday, July 17 Featuring a berry pie contest, free berry tasting, berry pancakes and a berry sorbet fundraiser for the Market. Vendors highlight berries and berry products. River Ridge Organics is USDA certified berry farm near Mouth of Wilson. You can find their berries at the Friday and On-line Farmers Markets. River Ridge donated the berries for the Sorbet fundraiser that is a highlight of Berry Day. This year, sorbet will be available by the bowl or frozen pint. Chef Jen Cavey will be making pancakes with berry syrup to benefit the Market as well.
Enter the Berry Pie contest featuring traditional berry pies. Pies are limited to crust, and simple berry filling. The winning entry will receive $100. Please bring your pies to the Market by 9:30. Judging will begin at 10 am.
The Berry Festival began with one of our earliest vendors and board members Steve Mabe’s( most of you may know him as the sweet potato man) suggestion.

Wellness Day, July 10
2020-07-10 09:00 - 13:00 | Independence Town Park
Wellness Day features many local healthcare providers and offers free health screenings and activities for the community and vendors. Community partners include VDH, Twin County Hospital, In Total Health, Virginia Tech Family Nutrition, and Sandy Stoneman will host a canning demonstration. Wellness Day began in 2015 in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health.

POSTPONED/Cooking Day
2020-07-03 09:00 - 13:00 | Independence Town Park

POSTPONED/Kids Day
2020-06-26 09:00 - 13:00
Free fun for the whole family during the entire Market! At Kids Day, learn to throw a lasso, print with wood blocks, and have fun hula hooping and playing games. All activities are free and open to kids of all ages. Community partners include Cowbody Don, 4H, Virginia Department of Health, Blue Ridge Discovery Center, local artist Ellie Kirby, hula hoops with Laura, and Girl Scouts. Andrea Wann with the Family Nutrition program with be back with ” Kids Buck!” The first 30 kids to visit her booth will get a $5 coupon to spend on fresh fruits or vegetables. She’ll also have tasty snacks to sample. Thanks to United health Care for funding this program again this year! Kids Day began in 2012 and was our 1st Farmers Market Event. It remains one of the most popular activities at the Farmers Market and led to the addition of the Kids Corner every Friday from 10-11 while Grayson County Schools are closed for the summer.

POSTPONED/Fiber Day
2020-06-19 09:00 - 13:00 | Independence Town Park
1st of ONLY 2 Fiber Days. Don’t miss it! The Blue Ridge Fiber Guild will hold 2 Fiber Days at the Market this year: June 19 and August 23 during regular Market hours from 9am to 1pm. Local fiber vendors will join the weekly Farmers Market. This is a great opportunity to purchase yarns, roving, raw fiber, baskets, and an array of knit, woven, and felted goods. Come and meet the artisans who often raise the animals providing fiber for the handmade items in their booths. Feel free to ask questions about farming with sheep, goats, alpacas, and rabbits, and see demonstrations of how raw fiber is turned into usable products.

POSTPONED/Cooking Day
2020-06-05 09:00 - 13:00 | Independence Town Park
Join us June 5th for the first Cooking Day of the season. We cook at the Market the first Friday of the month, beginning in June. Learn to make an array of dishes from whatever is available at the Market. Learn how to cook fresh, local food. and try new vegetables. Samples are available and donations are appreciated. New this year, we’ll be offering “Cook the Kit”
Chef Jen will cook a recipe 3 times during the Market at 10, 11 and noon. There will be a random drawing each time among participants and the winner will take home a bag with the featured recipe and all of ingredients to cook at home.

POSTPONED/Farm Day
2020-05-24 14:00 - 17:00 | Wagon Wheel Farm, Independence, VA
Join us Sunday May 24 th from 2- 5 pm at Wagon Wheel Farm, 1322 Gold Hill Rd, Independence VA for an afternoon of hands-on activities. See and try out some of the best market garden tools. If you’ve taken our “Grow More Vegetables” class, you’ll see those spacings and planting ideas in the ground and growing! Tour the greenhouse, high tunnel and field. Plant sale and Free kids activities. We’ll repeat the demonstrations 3 times. Vegetables will start on the hour: 2,3 and 4pm. Growing great transplants will start at 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30. Rain date is Sunday May 31, same time and place.

POSTPONED/Grand Opening -please shop Online!
2020-05-08 09:00 - 13:00 | Independence Town Park
Join us for the opening of the 2020 Market Season in Town Park! We’ve invited area artisans to join us Opening Day so you can find a perfect gift for Mother’s Day.

Pre-season Vendor Meeting POSTPONED
2020-04-10 11:00 - 14:00 | Grayson LandCare/IFM office, 104 Courthouse Street, Independence, VA, United States
STAY TUNED: WILL BE BY ZOOM OR EMAIL

Have you thought about becoming a vendor at the Farmers Market? Here’s your chance to join returning vendors and find out about the coming season and enjoy a potluck lunch. Join us April 10 from 11-2 at the Grayson LandCare/IFM office at 104 Courthouse Street.
1) Please join us at 11 am. We’ll cover rules, fees, online market and more.
2)If you are a crafter joining us for the 1st time, please bring 3 representative items for jurying.
3) If you plan to sell canned or baked goods or offer samples,including meats, please plan to stay after for a presentation by Sandy Stoneman.
Looking forward to a another fun and fabulous season!

OUTDOOR MARKET POSTONED
2020-04-08
Hi Everyone, We hope to reopen sometime this summer, but until the Governor lifts the stay at home order we will proceed with only the On-Line Market. That Market is currently paused while we review safety procedures.

Pest, disease and fertility workshop-Feb 8
2020-02-08 09:00 - 12:00 | Default title, VA, United States
Join us for the 2nd workshop of the season February 08 from 9am to noon at the GLC/IFM office on 104 Courthouse Street. Cost is $15 and includes light refreshments.
We’ll discuss plant families, rotation and ways to reduce the need for costly chemicals.
Learn to use the handy fertilizer calculator and planning for likely diseases and pests so you can catch things early when they are easier to control. We’ll bring our favorite tools and control measures. We’ll also talk about drip irrigation and fertigation-that just means fertilizing while you water.

Grow More Vegetables, for farm and garden, Jan 11
2020-01-11 09:00 - 12:00 | Grayson LandCare/IFM office, 104 Courthouse Street, Independence, VA, United States
It’s back. Learn to pack a 21/2 X 5 foot raised bed with a huge amount of vegetables! It’s easy to multiply by 5 so this works for larger gardens too. This is an interactive vegetable growing workshop for all skill levels. We’ll meet at the Grayson LandCare/IFM office at 104 Courthouse Street, Saturday January 11th from 9 am to noon. Snow date is the 18th, same place and time. Cost is $15, pay at the door, and light refreshments will be served. Planting dates, spacing, interplanting and succession plantings will be addressed. Using information from the best national and local gardeners you’ll learn to apply these techniques to a single raised bed or a full-sized market garden. We’ll break into groups and design gardens for maximum production. We’ll also have our favorite tools, books and catalogs on display. Start planning for a successful garden now. The class is limited to 30 people. Please email Michelle Pridgen at independencefarmersmarket@gmail.com to register.

2nd Winter Market and Chili Cook-off
2019-12-07 11:00 - 14:00 | Town Park
The Farmers Market is back in Town Park Saturday December 7 from 11 am to 2 pm for our 2nd Winter Market and Chili Cook-off. Enjoy free kids activities, shop for delicious local products and beautiful crafts and stay for the Parade and Town Activities.Be sure to enter or judge the Chili Cook-off. A $5 ticket lets you taste all the chili and vote for your favorite, we had a dozen entries last year, so it’s a bargain.
FREE to enter, bring your chili to the Market by 10:30. $100 1st prize! Thanks to our Market sponsors Skyline Bank, the Town of Independence, Grayson County and the Matthews Foundation and River Ridge Farm. This is the last day to pick up your pre-ordered Christmas trees and wreaths from Brookgreen Farm.

1st Winter Market
2019-11-29 11:00 - 14:00
The Farmers Market is back in Town Park Friday November 29 from 11 am to 2 pm for our 1st of 2 Winter Markets. Kick off the Holiday season by shopping locally for delicious local products and beautiful crafts. Enjoy free Kids activities at the Market This is the first day to pick up your pre-ordered Christmas trees and wreaths from Brookgreen Farm.

Apple Festival
2019-10-11 09:00 - 13:00 | Town Park
The Apple Festival is a community-wide event that celebrates apple season. The highlight is a community cider pressing—bring your apples to press with our presses! We’ll have three-one just for the kids! The Market also offers fresh pressed cider for donation as a fundraiser. The apple dessert contest is always hotly contested and it open to any kind of dessert featuring apples. Please bring your entry to the Market by 9:30. Judging begins at 10 am.
This is the last day of the outdoor Market. Don’t worry, you can shop On-line! Order from Wednesday evening to Monday evening and come by the Grayson LandCare/IFM office at 108 Courthouse Street between 4-6 pm to pick up your order.

Cooking Day and Squashtober
2019-10-04 10:00 - 12:30 | Town Park
This is the last Cooking Day for the season. We’ll be cooking winter squash today for Squashtober. There are so many different varieties and they are great keepers so you can enjoy eating them all winter. Samples are available and donations are appreciated.

Fermentation Friday AND Pepper Day
2019-09-13 09:00 - 13:00 | Town Park
Fermentation Friday returns to the Market on September 13. Carrie Gualt of Bird and Hopper Farm will host 2 demonstrations on preparing fermented foods. The demonstrations will begin at 10 am and again at noon. Fermentation is an ancient method of food preservation and fermented foods are a healthy addition to any diet. Fermentation kits will be available for sale and free samples will be offered for tasting.
Here’s your chance to taste the wide variety of sweet and hot peppers at our annual pepper tasting.
