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The Downtown Phoenix Public Market

Located at 721 N. Central, on the Southeast corner of Central Ave. & E. McKinley Street,2 blocks south of Roosevelt

http://www.phoenixpublicmarket.com/

Downtown Phoenix Public Market

The Downtown Phoenix Public Market is a non-profit organization connecting local artisans and farmers with customers, right in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Part grocery store, part farmer’s market, and open year-round rain or shine, the Public Market provides a place for customers to buy locally-grown produce and hand-crafted arts. According to Nathan Logan, the manager of the Market, “The idea is to have a variety and support local vendors.”

Everything sold at the market is grown or made by the person selling it, and there are a variety of items to choose from. You want artisanal ice cream or Arizona honey? It’s at the Market. How about handcrafted jewelry by Navajo artist Marjorie Jensen? At the Market. What about more eclectic stuff, like Raimondo’s low-carb pasta or authentic Dutch poffertjes? You can get them at the Market. About 90 to 95 percent of the produce sold at the Market is grown in Arizona, but you can rest assured that even what’s imported are high-quality, all-natural goods.

In addition to the market itself, there are also classes offered in subjects like permaculture, which emphasizes organic, self-sustaining production. One of the Market’s main education projects is the Slow Food Movement, a back to the basics approach that emphasizes minimal processing and eating in-season organic produce. No pesticides are used on these crops, and animals are not fed anything but natural ingredients – no fillers, no byproducts. The result is a difference you can taste; Nathan Logan says that he loves the produce at the Market because “it reminds me of when I was a kid.”

The Market also boasts a grocery and a wine bar, open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Market Café offers ready-to-go soups, salads, and sandwiches made with local ingredients, and there’s also a small coffee shop, Royal at the Market, where you can grab a cup of locally roasted coffee or a lemonade made with local organic lemons. Market Chefs whip up delicious samples from produce sold at various vendors, letting you taste how great the food is before you buy it. Free parking on site means it’s always easy to buy fresh, natural goods.