The District Summer Market at Festival Park has been an exciting new part of the downtown vibe every Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. in Festival Park (335 Ray Avenue, Fayetteville).   
“We had over 1000 people at our last market with 40 vendors. It continues to grow. We were able to add beer and wine exclusively sold from our downtown businesses at the last market from Bright Light and Gaston Breweries and The Wine Café. We currently have over 70 new applicants and they continue to message daily asking to be a part of the market. It’s really exciting,” said Jenny Bell, the marketing manager for the Cool Spring Downtown District and organizer of the District Summer Market. 
“At our last market, we featured Cooking4Fitness, a downtown business at 130 Bow Street, that offered cooking demonstrations using our farmer’s products. It’s been a focus to highlight not only our local farmers and artisans, but also our downtown businesses,” said Bell.  
Along with food trucks and vendors, the market boasts live music, yoga and children’s activities ranging from lawn games, sidewalk chalk, story time and more with help from various non-profits. The District Summer Market will run to August 26.
Another largely popular market with an amassing crowd is Dirtbag Ales Farmer’s Market, which opened in 2018 at 5423 Corporation Drive in Hope Mills and runs Easter weekend though Thanksgiving. 
More than 2000 people arrive every Sunday for the market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with food trucks, produce vendors, hand crafted items and more. Their onsite restaurant Napkins plans special additions to its regular menu based on the local farm options. Live music, a playground for children, holiday themed activities such as an Easter egg hunt and Halloween Trick or Treat and a full bar with the Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom await the throngs who venture out on the spot right off of Interstate 95. Bringing beach chairs or a picnic blanket for your family to enjoy the market ambience is a good option as their tables and chairs fill up quickly. Four legged friends are also welcome. 
Other area markets include:
The City Market at the Museum, which operates at the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum located at 325 Franklin Street on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Originally located in the parking lot of the Cumberland County courthouse, the market moved to the museum in 2010 and has been a permanent fixture in the downtown mix with craft vendors, jewelry and, of course, locally grown produce. The Downtown Alliance and the City of Fayetteville incorporate the market in their programming and the market has featured live music, Sunset Slush of Gray’s Creek and more this year. The main market seasons runs from April through December, but some vendors appear year-round. 
The Sandhills Farmers and Heritage Market in Spring Lake has been open at 230 Chapel Hill Road since 2011. They operate every Saturday June through September from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market not only offers fresh produce, honey, handcrafted items and other products from local farmers, it also includes historical information and monthly themes. The Sandhills Heritage Food Tasting is an annual fundraiser held on the last Saturday in September so watch for that too. 
Sustainable Sandhills Farmers Market at Carolina Lakes is another great option for Carolina Lakes residents and their guests. The market hosts local produce, meat vendors and baked goods and is every first, third and fifth Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Carolina Lakes Clubhouse in western Harnett County. No stranger to the game, Sustainable Sandhills once managed the Dirtbag Ales Farmers Market and the Cape Fear Botanical Garden popup market. 
The Sanford Farmer’s Market at 115 Chatham Street in the Buggy Building parking lot takes place April through November on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon. By next year, the market will move into a new space owned by the City of Sanford, allowing the market to operate year-round, developing into the Sanford Agricultural Marketplace. 
The Sandhills Farmers Market at 105 Cherokee Road in Pinehurst has been a mainstay in Moore County for ten years with 85% of their market makeup being local farmers who only sell what they grow or create. The market runs April through September on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
The Robeson County Farmer’s Market is located at the corner of Elm and 8th Streets in Lumberton and operates every Wednesday from 3 to 6 p.m. and every Saturday starting at 7 a.m. to noon. The market features produce vendors, food trucks, craft vendors, children’s games, photo opportunities and face painting. All items sold at the market are raised or made in Robeson County. 
Don Bennett who organizes the Murchison Road Community Farmer’s Market at Fayetteville State University said his market is currently closed at this time, but they are hopeful to have a short run from September to November, if not, hopefully will be open next year.
Another option to Farmers Markets are the “pick your own” (or “u pick”) farms in the area. Strawberry season is now over, but blueberries are about to ripen at Carter Blueberry Farm at 4120 Clinton Road in Fayetteville, at U-Pick Blueberries off Buffalo Lake Road in Sanford or McLeods Table Farm in Carthage. Grape picking will be available later this summer at Auman Vineyards at 1300 71st School Road in Fayetteville. If you want to trek a bit further, Millstone Creek Orchards at 506 Parks Crossroads Church Road in Ramseur, offers picking opportunities for blackberries and blueberries through July, peaches and grapes through August, apples late August through September and even pecans in November.