Our Mission:
Market Central connects the community to local farms, food producers, and artisans through food access programs, education, and research to support and develop farmers markets as public spaces.
Strong community markets benefit our health, the environment, the local economy, and community empowerment through sharing culture and food.
Announcements
Welcome to spring 2023 at the Farmers Market at Ix. The freshness of the season brings crisp new greens, carrots and radishes, asparagus, sweet strawberries, cut flowers and live plants for your garden. Regardless of the season, vendors bring mushrooms, meats, fish, eggs, honey, baked goods, chocolate, coffee, kombucha, tea, herbal and homesteading products. New products are available week to week including new creations by local artists. While you are at the market for your weekly groceries, the prepared food vendors tempt you with soups, hot drinks, tacos, waffles, bolani, pies, baked goods, breakfast sandwiches and drinks. The vendor line-up for each market is available in the Community News blog linked below.
Market Hours and Traffic Patterns:
8:00 a.m to 12:00 noon, through October. (Hours will change again for winter.) Second St. going through the market is closed during the market. Take the right hand fork on Second St. to the far right parking lot, or make your way all the way around the Ix Complex to Elliott, Sixth St. and the Blenheim Ave. entrance for more parking.
The Thursday evening Sunset Market 2023 will open on May 4. Hours: 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Market Central Programs
Market Central, a 501(c)3 non-profit, was awarded $2,500 in December ‘22 from BAMA works, the Dave Mathews Charitable fund, to make improvements to the composting program at the market. We aspire to be a net zero carbon footprint market. We continue to write grants to improve and increase services to vendors and customers without raising vendor fees or causing food prices to go up. We welcome community members to participate in or communicate with the Market Central Board to help envision and engage in the farmers market system in Charlottesville. Contact us here: Market Central Board
• Our Market at Ix logo, gratis from Bellavance Ink, appears on our tent as a banner. If you like it, the farm truck logo is available in sticker format at the Farmers Market at IX for $5 every Saturday. Donations to Market Central support our programs.
What We Do
• Provide SNAP, Virginia Fresh Match incentive coupons, and market currency programs at the Farmers Market at Ix, to help customers access local food and sustain the livelihood of farmers and entrepreneurs.
• Co-sponsor and manage with the Ix Art Park, the year-round Farmers Market at Ix and the Thursday Sunset Market.
• Research farmers markets to understand conditions and dynamics at markets to prepare and plan for the present and future. Board members take non-profit trainings, including farmers market management training with VA Farmers Market Association in 2021, and certificate of completion of Project for Public Spaces “How to Develop Successful Markets” in March 2022. Three Market Central staff completed Project for Public Spaces “Placemaking” training in Oct. 2022.
Markets We Serve
• The Farmers Market at IX Art Park, 8:00 to 12:00 spring and summer, 9:00 to 1:00 fall and winter at the Ix Art Park, 522 Second St. SE, Charlottesville 22902
A producer-only market* whose vendors offer fresh farm produce, dairy, eggs, meat, baked goods, a variety of value-added products, prepared foods, and unique artisan creations.
*some products such as coffee cannot be grown in VA.
• The Sunset Market, 2023, Thursday nights, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Enjoy prepared food, farm produce and artisans while supporting local small businesses and enjoying the ambiance for families and pets at the Ix Art Park. Sign up for the Market Central newsletter for market news and developments.
