JFX Farmer's Market

This morning I made it to the Jones Fall Expressway Farmer's Market in downtown Baltimore. The market is located underneath the I-83 viaduct near Mercy Hospital. The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts reports that more than 8,000 people attend the Baltimore Farmers' Market & Bazaar on busy Sundays and today was definitely a busy one.

The market reminds a little of Borough Market in London as well as the High Line in New York City. All three of the sites are great examples of underutilized public space being reprogrammed in a sustainable and creative way to make a new highly used space. What I like most JFX Market is that it did not require any new construction or demolition of existing structures to work. There is nothing fancy about the market's location but that doesn't deter people from coming in droves every Sunday. In a way that makes the market a great fit for Charm City.

JFX Market, Baltimore

Borough Market, London (source)

The High Line, NYC (source)

The market was full of vendors representing several different counties. I was surprised to see that vendors came from as far away as Caroline County. Each vendor seemed to specialize in a different kind of produce. One of the more interesting stations was selling an assortment of wild mushrooms. Another station sold uncommon melons.

Map w/ Vender Guide (source)

My favorite vendor at the market, Wheely Good Smoothies, sells incredible smoothies that are made using a pedal powered blender. Unique flavor combinations are what I like about them. In the past I had their strawberry/mint smoothie as well as their iced tea with whole peaches. Today they were making peach/mint/strawberry smoothie that caught my attention. I can't wait go again next weekend and see what they are creating. 

Wheely Good Smoothies from Rob Perry on Vimeo.

For those who are interested in visiting The Jones Falls Expressway Farmer's Market it is located beneath the Jones Falls Expressway at Holliday & Saratoga streets, Baltimore, MD 21202 and operates every Sunday from 7:00 AM to noon.