Belleville Farmers’ Market: Local & Historic Since 1816

A year-round market of Quinte-area farmers and makers in Historic Market Square, right behind City Hall

📍 Get Directions 🕗 Market Days & Hours

One of Ontario’s oldest continuously running markets, where vendors sell what they grow, raise, or make — fresh produce, honey and maple syrup, meat and eggs, baked goods, preserves, and local crafts, three days a week, all year long.

🥕 Local produce 🍯 Honey & maple 🥖 Baked goods & preserves 🎨 Crafts & makers

💡 Saturday is the big one — most vendors and the widest selection — while Tuesday and Thursday are quieter, calmer trips. Peak hours run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Why Go Days & Hours What You’ll Find Vendors Getting There Tips FAQ

🌾 Why This Market Is Worth a Trip

Belleville’s farmers’ market isn’t a pop-up or a summer novelty — it has been running in the same downtown square since 1816, which makes it one of the oldest continuously operating markets in Ontario. That history shows. Generations of Quinte-area farm families have sold here, and the market still holds to a simple rule: vendors produce what they sell, and farmers are given preference.

The setting is Historic Market Square, the covered plaza tucked directly behind Belleville City Hall between Front and Pinnacle Streets. It’s central, walkable, and sheltered, which is why the market keeps going year-round, rain or shine, rather than packing up after harvest. In spring it fills with maple syrup and bedding plants; by late summer the produce tables are stacked high; and it stays, in the market’s own words, a hive of activity right through the Christmas season.

For a mid-sized city market it punches above its weight. You’ll find honey and maple syrup, local pork and beef, farm eggs, microgreens grown a few kilometres away, sourdough and pastries, jams and pickles, plus soaps, herbal remedies, woodwork and crafts — and a rotating cast of prepared-food stalls if you’d rather eat than cook. It’s the kind of place where the honey vendor will hand you a spoon to sample before you buy.

🕗 Market Days & Hours

The market runs three days a week, every week of the year, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday is the flagship day; Tuesday and Thursday are quieter weekday shops.

⏰ Peak hours across all three days are roughly 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Arrive early for the best pick of produce and baked goods; come near closing and you may catch end-of-day deals, but a thinner selection.

🧺 What You’ll Find

Product selection shifts with the seasons and by vendor, but on a typical market day you can expect a broad mix of local food and handmade goods:

Fresh vegetables Seasonal fruit Cut flowers & plants Honey & maple syrup Home baking & bread Jams, pickles & preserves Local meat & eggs Microgreens Cheese & ferments Handmade soap & body care Herbal wellness Crafts & woodwork Prepared food to go

🎵 The market also hosts live music and community events at various points through the year. For the current line-up of what’s on, the market’s Facebook page is the place to check — it’s where announcements and event dates are posted.

👩‍🌾 Some of the Vendors

A recent snapshot from the market’s own vendor directory. The mix changes with the seasons and by market day, so not everyone is out every day:

Kleinsteuber Farms Vaders Farm Fresh Produce Charlen Farm Lewa Farm Ontario Haanover View Farms Ivy Qi Green Wheel Farms Jack’s Jams & Jellies Sweet Marie’s CW Homemade Foods Snoring Spirit Monkey Seaduction Mayall’s Apothecary Posh Soapworks Nancy’s Crafts Happy Feet Mats Canadian Nickel – Vanisle Joinery Emmanuel United Church Women

🚗 Getting There & Parking

Historic Market Square sits in the heart of downtown Belleville, directly behind City Hall at 169 Front Street and nestled between Front Street and Pinnacle Street. It’s surrounded by cafés and shops and is an easy walk from downtown transit stops.

Parking: Municipal lots and metered street parking are available throughout downtown within a short walk of the square. The market publishes a downtown parking map on its website if you’d like to plan ahead.

Heads-up: Downtown parking time limits are actively enforced, so check the posted signs and top up your meter — a quick market run can run longer than you expect.

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing

🛒 Saturday for selection, Tuesday or Thursday for calm. If you want the full spread of vendors, come Saturday. If you’d rather take your time, the weekday markets are far quieter.

💵 Bring some cash. Many vendors take cards or e-transfer, but a few are cash-or-e-transfer only, so a little cash on hand saves hassle.

⏰ Get there before 2 p.m. Peak hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the best produce and baked goods tend to sell out first.

🧺 Pack a reusable bag or basket. It’s easy to leave with more than you planned, and a sturdy tote beats juggling loose bags of produce.

🧥 Dress for the day, year-round. The market runs through winter in a covered but open-air square, so bundle up in the cold months and expect a shorter list of vendors than in peak season.

❓ Common Questions