Overview
On a Saturday morning, the corner of Water Street downtown fills up early. Charlottesville City Market is an open-air market run by the City of Charlottesville's Parks & Recreation department, one of a small family of city markets that also includes Farmers in the Park and the seasonal Holiday Market. It is the kind of weekly gathering that a lot of Crozet households fold into their Saturday routine, twenty minutes east, before the day gets away from them.
The market sets up at 100 E Water St in downtown Charlottesville and runs one morning a week: Saturdays, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Come at nine and the stalls are still filling; come toward one and you are shopping the last of what the growers hauled in that morning. The rhythm rewards the early riser, though there is something to be said for the slower late-morning crowd, too.
What you'll find
This is a vendor market in the truest sense, a rotating cast of area growers, cooks, and makers rather than a single storefront with a fixed inventory. Expect tables of fresh produce alongside local and international foods, and a good share of arts and crafts from regional artisans. What is on any given table depends on the week and the season, which is part of the appeal: the market in high summer, heavy with produce, is a different animal from the market in the shoulder months.
Because the vendors change, the market is worth treating as a place to browse rather than a checklist to complete. You go to see what showed up. The produce stalls are the anchor, but the craft tables are why a lot of people linger, and the mix of local and international foods gives the aisles more variety than the phrase "farmers market" tends to suggest.
Getting there and planning your morning
The market is a downtown Charlottesville affair, close to the Downtown Mall, so it pairs naturally with the rest of a Saturday in town. From Crozet, it is a straightforward drive east on Route 250, and the Water Street location puts you within walking distance of downtown parking and the Mall's coffee shops and restaurants once you have filled your bags.
Keep the hours in mind: this is a morning market, and it wraps up at one o'clock sharp. Vendors and offerings shift week to week and with the season, so if you are making the trip for something in particular, it is worth confirming ahead.
Because City Market is a city-run operation, the most reliable place to check dates, vendor information, and any weather or schedule changes is the City's own markets page. For details, call (434) 970-3371 or visit the Charlottesville Markets page, which also covers the related Farmers in the Park and Holiday Market events. For a Crozet resident, it is one of the easier ways to spend a Saturday morning supporting area growers and makers without going far from home.
More other in Crozet
Frequently asked questions
Where is Charlottesville City Market?
Charlottesville City Market is located at 100 E Water St, Charlottesville, VA 22902, USA, in Crozet, Virginia.
What are Charlottesville City Market's hours?
Monday: Closed Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: Closed Thursday: Closed Friday: Closed Saturday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Sunday: Closed
How do I contact Charlottesville City Market?
You can call (434) 970-3371 or visit http://www.charlottesville.gov/citymarket. Hours and current information are most reliable directly from the business.
What kind of business is Charlottesville City Market?
Charlottesville City Market is categorized as other in our Crozet directory. See the description and quick facts above for what makes this listing distinctive.
Sources: charlottesville.gov