Rain or Shine, the Des Moines Farmers' Market is Waiting

Young Professionals Connection (YPC) will be featured at the Aug. 8 Market as a Saturday Salute. Be sure to stop by our booth and say hello to fellow YPs!

I’ve lived in Des Moines a long time and have always heard people rave about the Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market. It’s hard for me to wake up early on Saturday mornings, so I didn’t actually make it out there myself until this summer. And now, I wish I woke up early a few more times before because it is a great experience. It’s nice because you don’t have to spend a dime, you can just walk around and enjoy samples of various foods like jerky and jam. Or, you can purchase food and other items for sale, such as yard décor. 

The first morning I walked down Court Avenue, it was a sunny, beautiful day. I tried all kinds of food. A couple notable items were the delicious, but not too sweet, Dutch letters from a Pella booth and the infamous breakfast burrito on 4th Street. I grew up going to the Pella Tulip Time Festival, so I was familiar with Pella’s pastries. I was excited that I didn’t have to travel far to taste the memories. 

Farmers' Market Favorites: Breakfast Burritos

As for the breakfast burrito, my friends always talk about it so I was on the hunt to get one. I actually had a hard time finding it, though, because I didn’t have much information to go on. Luckily, a girl at the information booth knew exactly where to send me before I finished my sentence. It goes to show you how popular these burritos are. So everyone, the breakfast burritos are by Fong’s Pizza. Go there because people are right, they are good. You choose which ingredients you want and it fills you up. I finished that morning with a refreshing Bloody Mary on the Riverwalk Hub’s patio, which – you guessed it –is right by the river on Water Street. 

Farmers' Market Finds, Rain or Shine

Since I had so much fun the first time, I wanted to go back. A few weeks ago my friend and fellow YPC member, Ashley, wanted to join me. Of course we ended up choosing a rainy day, though. We woke up, saw it was raining, but decided to still go and just grab our umbrellas. We weren’t sure if the market was even happening in the rain. When we got there, not only did we realize that Farmers’ Market white tents were in business, but we didn’t end up needing umbrellas after all. 

We had fun walking around, admired several tents and briefly listened to a street performer. He was set up on one of the corners singing, playing guitar and had a couple band members playing other instruments. It added a lot to the cultural vibe of the market. 

We also noticed how many different types of people enjoy what the market has to offer. There are people of all ages and even some dogs too. 

We knew we wanted to try something to eat, but had trouble making a decision from all the choices. Since tents were starting to pack up, we settled with a fruit and cream crepe from the Sweet Treat Without Wheat tent. It was a sweet treat, but also light and refreshing. 

All that being said, if you haven’t been to the Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market, I definitely recommend it. And, what better day to attend then when YPC will be there! Come represent the best of DSM’s young professionals on August 8. One of the biggest things I learned was that whether it’s sunny or raining, the market opens its tents and waits for everyone to flock the streets. 

Jessica Carbino
YPC Marketing Committee Member