National Farmers Market Week: Support Vienna Market Vendors

VIENNA, VA — The first week of August marks National Farmers Market Week, and there's no better time to visit Vienna area markets and support local producers.

Local options include Vienna Farmers Market on Saturdays at the Vienna Community Center, NOVA Central Farm Market on Sundays at Church of the Holy Comforter, Oakton Farmers Market on Saturdays at Unity of Fairfax Church, Oak Marr Farmers Market on Wednesdays at Oak Marr Recreation Center, and FRESHFARM Mosaic Market on Saturdays at the Mosaic District.

This year, National Farmers Market Week from Aug. 1 to 7 celebrates the resiliency of farmers markets during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid challenges with conventional food supply chains at the start of the pandemic, farmers markets stepped up to meet a growing interest in local foods. Markets adapted to restrictions with social distancing, regulating traffic flow, advance ordering systems and more for the safety of vendors and shoppers.

This year, markets are seeing relatively normal business with few restrictions. Check with each farmers market for mask recommendations and other policies.

The Vienna Farmers Market is run by the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna on Saturdays through October from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The location is the Vienna Community Center parking lot. Vendors offer a variety of goods, from produce and plants to baked goods, breads, specialty foods and pet items. The producer-only market offers vendors with items they grow, raise, bake or make. Musical performances are also scheduled each week.

The year-round NOVA Central Farm Market has hours from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays through December at Church of the Comforter, 543 Beulah Road, Vienna. The market offers meats, dairy products, produce, prepared foods, ice cream, fish, baked goods, eggs and flowers.

FRESHFARM Mosaic Market is year round, but hours through December will be Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The location is District Ave between Merrifield Town Center and Strawberry Lane. Shoppers can find produce, meats, dairy products, baked goods, prepared foods and much more.

The Oakton Farmers Market is another run by FRESHFARM. Located at Unity of Fairfax Church, 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, it is open year round Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Dec. 18. Shoppers can purchase meats, eggs, baked goods, prepared foods, produce and more.

The Oak Marr Farmers Market on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. through Nov. 10 is one of 10 run by the Fairfax County Park Authority. All of these markets are strictly producer-only, so the vendors sell what they raise on their farms or make from scratch. Producers come from a 125-mile radius of Fairfax County. Vendors offer baked goods, bread, ice cream, meats, produce, specialty foods and more. The location of the Oak Marr Farmers Market is the Oak Marr Recreation Center, 3200 Jermantown Road, Oakton.

The annual National Farmers Market Week celebration is coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition, a nonprofit providing training, technical assistance and network-building to farmers markets nationwide.