Olympia Farmers Market now in its high season. Here’s what I got for $25
Spring is finally here, and that means it’s the perfect time of year to pay a visit to the Olympia Farmers Market, now celebrating its 50th year.
The market is so popular that it’s now the second-largest in the state of Washington after Seattle’s Pike Place Market. In fact, it can be hard to find a parking spot if you get there too late on a weekend morning.
But does all that success mean that it has become just too expensive to enjoy?
I took a journey through the market recently with a budget of just $25 and the goal of buying lunch, something for my garden and a couple of small baked goods treats – one to eat while strolling around the market stands, and one for home.
Here’s what I got, and some tips and tricks on maximizing your funds and your fun at the market.
Olympia Farmers Market food
First things first, the market is a fantastic place to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the expansive outdoor eating space with plenty of comfortable seating, with the live music stage at the center.
Not every trip to the market involves sitting down for a full meal, but it’s certainly an option. There’s a long row of food vendors stretching down the market’s north side. It creates a hefty buffer between the (free) parking lot and the vendor area. You can also grab something to go, which is what I did.
Food options range from Mexican to curry, vegan, seafood (think fish and chips), coffee, sausages and wurst, espresso, sandwiches, spring rolls, waffles, gyros and more.
I opted for a single hamburger from Madeline’s Bavarian Wurst for $6.99. I could have gotten a double hamburger for $7.49, or a single cheeseburger for $8.99. A bacon cheeseburger is also $8.99. The ¼ pound beef patty comes on a seeded bun with delicious sauce, pickles and grilled onions. You can also get garden patties on request to substitute.
The burger was hearty and delicious, with just the right amount of condiments and cooked well done. Fries were not included, so I bought a small side of fries for $4.99. Sweet potato and curly fries are only $1 more.
For a drink, I headed over to Curry in a Hurry, where I got a small, 12-ounce soda for just $1.95. I could have also gone to Dingey’s, where they sell 16-ounce sodas for just $1.99 and a small basket of fries for $4.99.
There were many other affordable food options if you just patiently study the menus on the front of each food vendor. But many of them only accept cash, or charge a fee for using a card. Within the market’s covered area and main stalls you can also find baked goods, meats, cheese and more, most of which take cash and card.
For those who qualify, the market does have a Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and a SNAP/EBT Market Match program. Just head to the information booth at the center of the market for assistance and further details.
Olympia Farmers Market vendors
After deciding on my lunch (that I got on my way out), I headed into the covered stall area – two long aisles of vendor stands selling everything from live herb plants and cut flowers to locally-made crafts and fresh carrots.
It’s nice to have a small treat to munch on as you wander through the many booths and chat with the farmers, artists, woodworkers and fish mongers, so I headed over the San Francisco Street Bakery stand to get the classic elongated cheesebread stick, smothered in parmesan and baked to perfection.
One cheesebread stick costs $2.25, which seems expensive until you bite into it and taste the explosion of flavor. I also grabbed a mini cookie with white frosting and sprinkles for later, for $1.45.
I could have also gotten a baked treat at two other longtime local bakeries with stands at the market – Blue Heron Bakery or Wagner’s European Bakery. What’s nice about all three of these spots is that they have other locations that are open when the market is closed.
I had about $5 left to spend (after tax) and went on the hunt for either a basil or cilantro plant for my herb garden. Both have been almost impossible to come by so far this year, as it’s still early in the planting season.
Spring Creek Farms – at the extreme right of the market if you’re facing the covered stalls with your back to the live music stage – always has a huge range of options. Their vegetable plants were priced at $5 each and their herbs at $6. It was slightly over what I had left to spend, so I continued on.
After painfully passing by the Johnson Berry Farm stand with its sparkling rows of life-changing jams (they were just slightly out of my budget at $7 for the smallest jar), I came upon Stoney Plain Farms, with their small but well-curated selection of fresh cut organic vegetables and small potted plants.
I had a nice chat with the stand cashier about the bunches of miner’s lettuce for sale (which I got to sample), and learned that it’s a native edible plant high in Vitamin C and A that grows wild in people’s yards. I recognized the plant from my own yard, so decided to have some for free at home later.
However, I did see that Stoney Plains also had a few cilantro plant packs for only $5. It was an easy decision to buy the six-section container.
Chatting with strangers
With cilantro plant in hand and cheesebread stick only half-eaten, I decided it was time to get some lunch and head out.
Most of the food stands are clustered near the stage, and a small bluegrass band was softly playing music for a few casual listeners scattered about the sturdy, generously-apportioned picnic tables.
One of the best parts about the Olympia Farmers Market is that you never know who you might meet or interact with if you hang out long enough and are open to chatting. As I was waiting for my lunch order, the band took a break and the bass player placed his order, then sat down nearby.
I learned he was a military veteran and had played with some iconic American musicians during his career, and on major stages. But when I asked what his favorite gig had been over the years, he simply answered, “Here.”
All told with tax included, I spent just under $25 on my market adventure and came home with new knowledge about plants, a local musician history lesson and plants that will continue to grow and feed me and my family and friends all spring and summer.
Next time, I will be getting fresh local jam instead of a burger, though.
This story was originally published April 26, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
