Now is the perfect time to scope out fare for your Thanksgiving meal preparations, and there’s no better place for this kind of work than area farmers markets. From winter squashes to pecans to greens, there’s an abundance to choose from at nearly every market. What makes Dallas-area markets patron-friendly are their attempts to offer more than produce. This weekend, the Dallas Farmers Market hosts a cooking class, while the Vickery Meadow Community Market will have a pie contest. Drop in.
Coppell Farmers Market
Start scoping out finds perfect for your family’s big Thanksgiving meal this weekend. With a variety of vendors and several kinds of produce in season, this is the perfect place to start! Herbs are a specialty at the market. Ranging from basil to dill to mint and parsley, you’ll find fresh, local options. It’s also the perfect time for wintergreens such as collards, kale, Swiss chard, and green beans. This week’s market highlight is Sam’s Salmon, who offers fresh wild salmon caught in Alaska. Check out this chart for a more comprehensive list of what’s in season. Artisan vendors create a cohesive atmosphere within the market, offering honey, breads, and pastries, pies, cookies, scones, and macarons. Looking ahead, the market will host its last weekly market November 22 before moving to its winter market schedule December 6. These markets will be held: December 20, January 10 and 24, February 14 and 28, and March 14 and 28.
768 W. Main St., Coppell
8 a.m. to noon Saturday
Dallas Farmers Market
Head down to the market this Thursday for its weekly installment of Market After Dark. Every Thursday, the market offers free yoga and extended hours, closing at 8 p.m. While there, check out the market’s vast selection of prime fall produce! From pecans to winter squash, it’s not too early to start considering options for your Thanksgiving meal. For a more comprehensive list of what’s on season, check out this helpful chart created by the market.
The market will host a cooking class with Chef Jason West of Steel Restaurant & Lounge from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday in the Market Resource Center. The theme for the class, which is part of a program with the American Institute of Wine & Food, is Pan-Asian Dinner in Autumn.” The class costs $25 per person if purchased by November 6. The cost is $30 at the door. The class is the third in a five-part series, which licked off Oct. 25. The remaining two classes will feature chefs Braden Wages and Yasmin Wages of Malai Kitchen on November 15 and Chef Joanne Bondy of Stocks & Bondy on November 22. For more information on the classes or to register, go here.
1010 S. Pearl Expwy.
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Grand Prairie Farmers Market
This Saturday, the market will celebrate Veteran’s Day by giving away free American flags to the first 150 veterans who stop by the information booth.
120 W. Main St.
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays
Vickery Meadow Local Market
The market, in conjunction with the White Rock Lake Farmers Market, will host the sixth annual pie contest. The contestants will offer samples to curious patrons from noon until 2 p.m. Tasting tickets are $5 an can be purchased Sunday at the market’s information booth. Each pie competing for grand title will feature homemade crusts and fillings. There will be five delicious categories in which the pies will be judged, including fruit, nut, chocolate, cream/custard, and savory. Money made from this event will go toward market programs such as “Love Your Farmer” volunteer days; “Sprouting Healthy Kids,” and hands-on after-school program that teaches nutrition and gardening; and the White Rock Local Garden.
5803 E. Northwest Highway, Dallas
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays
