Putting the Market in Ponce City Market

Tuesdays just got more exciting, y’all! May 3rd heralded the opening of the new Ponce City Farmers’ Market held under “The Shed” right on the BeltLine. I went a little later in the evening and it had definitely drawn a crowd. I try to do a once-over with all booths at farmers’ markets when I first get there to see what everyone has available and to get more bang for my buck. I usually just bring a fresh Jackson (or Tubman, if you’re from the future) with me and I like to stretch it, but I also don’t want my eyes to get bigger than my stomach, resulting in a fridge full of well-intentioned, rotting produce. I walked slowly along, leisurely inspecting booths for things to tickle my fancy.

I was pleasantly surprised by the large variety of booths present at the inaugural market. I saw some of our staple local vendors like Treehouse milks, Banner Butter, and Golda Kombucha. I was really excited to see that AtlantaFresh, our creamery that uses milk from local grass-fed cows, got some representation at the market with its own booth. It’ll be nice to not schlep over to Norcross for my yogurt because not all local retailers carry all the different flavors they have. I was also happy to see Truly Living Well’s booth, where you can buy kale, spinach, and delicious green stir-fry mixes. Pearson Farm, another favorite of mine, was also there selling pecans, but their incredibly succulent peaches should be ready by May 21st, so keep that in mind in a couple of weeks!

The most unique thing I saw was the watermelon snow stand at the end of the market. They served frozen shaved watermelon for $4, something I had never seen before! On such a hot day, it was a perfect unique treat to end my visit to the market. The contraption for shaving the watermelon alone was worth a gander.

“The Shed” houses several booths along the wall with enough space to accommodate shoppers and their furry friends so as not to be too crowded. There’s plenty of picnic benches for snacking and people-watching, as well as marveling over your spoils from the day. And, of course, it’s very nice not to have to wait until Saturday to go to the farmers’ market! PCFM will be open every Tuesday from 4-8pm until December 20th.