These Are The 10 Best Farmers Markets In Alaska For 2018

Who doesn’t love a great Farmers Market?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the popularity of Farmers Markets is growing. What was once a niche shopping experience for the wealthy and ultra health conscious has become mainstream. And to appease the diverse populations that have shown interest in farmers markets, vendors have expanded their offerings. You can now get ice cream, homemade soap and even beer to go along with your organic beets and mushrooms.

And they aren’t just popular in liberal enclaves and on the west coast.

Farmers markets are booming in areas that had trouble making inroads in the past. 20 years ago, you’d never think you’d find farmers’ markets in Kansas City, Detroit or St. Louis.

Simply put, farmers markets aren’t just for farmers any more.

So, where are the best farmers’ markets in Alaska? We’ve got the answers here. (We’ll explain our methodology below.)

These are the best Alaska farmers markets:

1. Homer Farmers Market, Homer, AK
2. South Anchorage Farmers’ Market, Anchorage, AK
3. Tanana Valley Farmers Market, Fairbanks, AK
4. Sitka Farmers Market, Sitka, AK
5. Muldoon Farmers Market, Anchorage, AK
6. Spenard Farmers Market, Anchorage, AK
7. Anchorage Farmers Market, Anchorage, AK
8. Anchorage Market & Festival, Anchorage, AK
9. Northway Mall Wednesday Farmers Market, Anchorage, AK
10. My Matanuska Marketplace, Palmer, AK

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how each market ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably live in one of these cities where things are oh-so farmers market friendly.

And after you find a great farmers market, check out the best places to live in Alaska or the cheapest place to live in Alaska.

How do you decide if a farmers market is awesome or not in Alaska?

In order to rank the best farmers markets in Alaska, we had to determine what criteria makes for a good market experience. It isn’t a stretch to assume that great farmers’ markets have a variety of options, are up to date with the latest technology, and are in areas with decent populations. Because everyone should be able to take home some homemade jam, right?

So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.

How we crunched the numbers for the Last Frontier

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using Department of Agriculture data produced for the state of Alaska, along with the government census numbers, we looked at every single farmers market in the state. We paid particular attention to:

• Number of amenities
• Each market’s technology improvements
• Variety of items to buy
• Nearby population
• Number of organic vendors

We then gave each market a HomeSnacks Score. The higher the score, the better the farmer’s market ranked. What we found is there seems to be a balanced number of large farmers markets near major city centers as well as awesome farmers markets in smaller communities. That’s the way it should be!

1. Homer Farmers Market

Score: 68.6
City: Homer, AK
Address: Ocean Drive, Homer, AK 99603
Times: Wed: 2:00 PM-6:00 PM Sat: 10:00 AM-3:00 PM

2. South Anchorage Farmers’ Market

Score: 60.0
City: Anchorage, AK
Address: Subway/Cellular One Sports Centre at the corner of Old Seward and O’Malley, Anchorage, AK None
Times: Sun: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM

3. Tanana Valley Farmers Market

Score: 57.1
City: Fairbanks, AK
Address: 2600 College Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709
Times: Wed: 11:00 AM-4:00 PM Sat: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Sun: 11:00 AM-4:00 PM

4. Sitka Farmers Market

Score: 57.1
City: Sitka, AK
Address: 235 Katlian Street, Sitka, AK 99835
Times: Sat: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM

5. Muldoon Farmers Market

Score: 51.4
City: Anchorage, AK
Address: 7440 Creekside Center Drive, Anchorage, AK 99504
Times: Sat: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM

6. Spenard Farmers Market

Score: 51.4
City: Anchorage, AK
Address: 2590 Spenard Road, Anchorage, AK 99503
Times: Sat: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM

7. Anchorage Farmers Market

Score: 45.7
City: Anchorage, AK
Address: 1420 Cordova Street, Anchorage, AK 99645
Times: Sat: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM

8. Anchorage Market & Festival

Score: 45.7
City: Anchorage, AK
Address: 3rd Avenue and E Street, Anchorage, AK 99501
Times: Sat:10:00 am – 6:00 pm sun:10:00 am – 6:00 pm

9. Northway Mall Wednesday Farmers Market

Score: 45.7
City: Anchorage, AK
Address: 3101 Penland Parkway, Anchorage, AK 99508
Times: Wed:9:00 am – 4:00 pm

10. My Matanuska Marketplace

Score: 45.7
City: Palmer, AK
Address: 610 S Valley Way, Palmer, AK 99645
Times: Mon: 10:30 AM-5:30 PM

There You Have It – The Best Farmers Markets In Alaska

If you’re looking for a breakdown of farmers’ markets in the Last Frontier ranked by criteria that vendors and customers agree on, this is an accurate list.

For more Alaska reading, check out:

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• These Are The 10 Worst Places To Live In Alaska

Detailed List Of The Best Farmers Markets In Alaska