Uptown Farmers Market
Many years ago, I spent my Saturday mornings taking tennis lessons on the courts behind the NPHX Church, the host location of the Uptown Farmers Market. Though I never really ventured over to the farmers market, I always liked to look at the booths and food trucks. Since then, the market has GREATLY expanded, spanning much more of the huge parking lot that surrounds the church. After checking their website, it appears over 185 vendors are registered for the weekly markets!
On this particular Saturday morning, my Mom and I made our way uptown to check out the market and grab some fresh air. Even though the parking lot is relatively big, it gets crowded quick, so be prepared to do some searching for a spot. Luckily, we parked a few miles away and walked down the Bridle Path (a hidden gem you’ll hear about soon…), before exploring the Uptown Farmers Market. Once we made it, we immediately began searching for a coffee booth. It does take a second to get your bearings within the sea of people, but you’ll soon be ready to explore all the dining and shopping opportunities hidden within the rows.
Our first stop was at AZ Roast, environmentally sustainable coffee roasted with 100% solar energy. I guess I caught the booth at the right time as they’re only available at the Uptown Farmers Market on Saturdays! I had a GREAT iced sea salt and maple latte, very similar to what I got at Case Study, but still very delicious. AZ Roast was one of the bigger booths and had quite a bit of staff on hand, making them well adept to handle the crowd of people wanting to try their coffee. We soon ventured over to Proof Bread. The Proof we know and love now began by selling at local farmers markets, they have since grown their sourdough bread empire across the Valley, opening multiple storefronts around Phoenix. I frequent their location at 32nd Street and Shea, so it was nice to see a familiar local place while I was out and about! I got a chocolate croissant (one could call that my regular), and it was just as tasty as usual. We found a place to sit and enjoyed our coffee and pastries, it was warm but not uncomfortable, which is always nice. Lots of dogs and lots of humans make for great people watching, which definitely occupied a bit of our time.
Aside from the coffee and pastries we picked up, expect to see lots of food. There are plenty of booths and trucks preparing food for you to order, and many more offering pre-packaged items or fresh produce. You may also find stands dedicated to handcrafted goods or specialty items. There’s a little something for everyone!
The Uptown Farmers market is a bit of an amorphous concept when it comes to categorizing it. Broadly, I think it best fits into Shopping, but there are plenty of opportunities to dine your heart out and get your steps in. This farmers market knocks it out of the park when it comes to variety, if you’re looking for it, I’m sure they have it! Check out their website or just go on an exploratory journey! An empty stomach is always nice if you want to try some samples or get a few treats. As the weather keeps getting cooler, this is a can’t-miss shopping experience! They also have a Wednesday morning market if that fits better with your schedule.
