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February 2024 by Jim P.
Short review but just because they constantly meet or exceed expectations. Good food, good organization, inside to protect from bad weather, can handle crowds easily.
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January 2024 by Big E.
Old school, farmers market with individual vendors. Plenty of butchers with a wide variety of meats , smoked bacon, and poultry. Candy, nut, pickle vendors. Farm Eggs and Raw milk can be found here. Plenty of bakeries as well. Mediterranean food stand looked fantastic. The place smells amazing from all of the delicious food being cooked and served. Highly recommend the Amish breakfast stand in the center of the market, chipped beef on biscuit was excellent . Pancakes are so big you can't finish them - just order one if you get them . A definite must see if you've never been - fun place to shop. Gets crowded by the middle of the day on a weekend. I recommend you go early.!
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January 2024 by daniel s.
Haven't been here in years, now I remember why. Prices are just out of control; Bought two what I thought would be tasty steaks for the grill but were tough as shoe leather. Bought a few different sides but none had much taste and for coleslaw and macaroni salad were very pricey. I felt bad for the older locals shopping there paying these crazy prices. I'll stick with Costco.The produce at the Farmers Market was insane $10 for a small carton of strawberries. Come on get real
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December 2023 by Stephanie T.
This was my first time visiting Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market and was blown away by how many and the variety of vendors there were here and all they had to offer. There was plenty of parking spots at the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market and it is free parking. Since we went around the holidays, we were nervous about the hours of operation but the website was very informative and posted the hours they were going to be open or closed. There were vendors selling fresh seafood and meats, deli, baked goods, hot food, specialty foods and speciality shops. It was wonderful to walk around and everything smelled so good. There was even a barber shop, Viet food, Korean food, pickle, and spirits. We purchased donuts/crullers from Vallos Bakery, organic eggs from Mr. Bills, pretzel wraps from Stoltzfus Amish Deli, and kiffles from The Kiffle Kitchen. Everything was amazing. If you are in the area, definitely check it out. Some vendors do charge a credit card processing fee so bring cash if you want to avoid that. There are ATM machines around too.
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November 2023 by Chastity R.
Soooo much to choose from. Luckily for me, I went at an off time so it wasn't packed with people. Enjoyed the variety. I tried the Amish Village Bake Shop and Billy's Soft Pretzels. One day, I hope to say I've tried everything at least once. Bigger than the Dutch Country Farmers Market in Flemington but definitely more expensive.
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November 2023 by Tom G.
Allentown farmers market is definitely a place to checkout. There is a large assortment of speciality food vendors. Also has 3 produce stands and 3 butcher shops. But I noticed atleast one vendor( Johnny's Fresh Meats) charging me a fee for using my credit card.they charged 3% which as far as I know most places pay that fee as a price of doing buisness. 3% isn't really that much, but it was the principle. Besides that disappointment, I found the farmer market really cool, and there are two other butchers there. I decided to by my meat from clover farms and wasn't disappointed with the service or great specials that they have...
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July 2023 by Meghan F.
Hands down Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market is one of the most charming, idyllic, very Pennsylvanian culture centerpieces that Allentown has to offer. Situated between the west end and center city it is a several blocks long indoor market that has nearly anything and everything you need for your fridge and table. In a world of so much change this Farmers Market is a mainstay and is filled with vendors who have occupied stands for decades delivering their home made, farm grown, or custom crafted foods, produce, meats, seafood, goods, or services. You can easily meet all your shopping needs for the week here. I came here nearly weekly as a college student nearby and had the rare gift of recently visiting on my way to a family reunion. The best part is not much has changed, but only improved. Reasons I simply adore the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market - It's an incredible way to support the local economy, farmers, craftspeople, restaurants - It is ALWAYS meticulously clean - A great way to meet people and learn about others (i.e. speaking with vendors and talking with fellow customers) in a way we no longer connect due to the rise of social media and changing means of how people gather - There is literally something here for everyone (learn more in a minute) - Prices are overall reasonable...but shop around to see who may have a better deal. That's part of the fun! - You will never go hungry - There are areas to sit and eat - There are free samples :-) Highlights inside the markets with some of my favorites that have been here forever: - Charlie Ks pizza...has been here for years. Simple cheese pizza for an incredible choice that you can enjoy right at the counter - Ample produce stands filled with local bounty, You won't find fresher finds...(Red Barn Produce and Bedway's Fresh Fruits come to mind) - Amish goods (ex. Stolzfus Amish Deli and Amish Village Bake Shop) including baked goods, meats, cheeses, etc. - Quality meats = Mr. Bill's, S. Clyde Weaver, Clover Farms - Seafood offerings = Heckenberger's Seafood and a sushi place - Delicious hot food/sandwiches = Southern Delights, Dan's BBQ, Loan's Vietnamese Bistro, Gdynia Polish Market - Loads of specialty made snacks including nuts, popcorn, candies, not to mention baked goods, bagels, pasta, salads, etc. - Specialty food offerings and bakeries including Mary Ann Donut, The Nut Hut, New York Pickle, Mink's Candies, Egypt Star Bakery, Emmaus Bakery, Country Pantry, and more! - Probably THE BEST coffee place I have ever been to for small roast batch as well as for incredible caffeinated drinks...Heffelfingers' Coffee and Tea (I am literally sipping some of their small batch bean coffee as I write this) - There are also alcoholic libations including Clover Farms Winery and more recently Eight Oaks Craft Distillery with authentic and unique products - There is an actual grocery and dollar store inside - Rare vendors to find include Dave's Vacuum and Old Watch & Clock Shop - Lena's Skin Care and a barber shop - Little kid rides for fifty cents Of note the market is open Thursday - Saturday and while many places offer Saturday afternoon discounts before close I would definitely recommend getting here earlier in the week if you don't want to run the chance of not finding a particular item. Otherwise it's fun to play roulette later Saturday at 3:30 PM and see what deals are available. Obviously I could go on forever and I only scratched the surface of what you can find here. Bottom line you don't need to consider coming, just go to the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmer's Market. I am already extremely hungry and nostalgic writing this review, yearning for when I can return!
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January 2023 by Jen H.
December 2022I had never been to the Allentown Farmers Market. I wish I lived closer!!! I went with my brother twice here and it is very much a food market.Enjoy the amazing scents of all kinds of delicious smelling good wafting through the market. I was impressed with the variety! Many real butcher shops, cupcake war participant cupcake stand, soft pretzels, donuts, Vietnamese cooking, Pennsylvania Dutch delights, a distillery, a discount catch all store, many bakeries, a wonderful prepared food deli, lots and lots for the eyes, nose and tastebuds! Even Greek food stand. There is also a country store for home Devore and gifty items. Let's not forget your puppies at home- a really cool dog treat store with things I've never seen for dogs like chicken feet, and duck trachea?! Every kind of ears for dogs you could fathom but if your dog likes for sweet treats don't forget the "woof"les aka waffles for dogs.I can't wait to go back and purchase some items. The good looks wholesome and delicious.
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January 2023 by James A.
This place is a landmark .. so many cool shops and great family stands with long tradition of being a staple. There is a need for some updates to the interior of the market and the different establishments I hope one day the landowner realizes this and offers its tenants the ability to update their stands to improve them for future.
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December 2022 by Sarah C.
I LOVE this place!! It's a little bit of a ride for us from my Mother house, about 45 minutes, but it's worth it. You can get the best meats that you ever had from the the butcher's there and at a fraction of the cost in any grocery store. Fresh picked fruit & vegetables and fresh baked bread. That's only the beginning. Check it out, you won not be sorry. Bring insulated bags, and cash. Some vendors don't take plastic.
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December 2022 by Christopher C.
Let's bring this one up to the current.In the local LV area there are several different incarnations of farmers markets. Almost all are seasonal and outdoors, but this one is the OG of area farmers markets.Why? For starters there is one hell of a diversity of products you can get here. Everything from donuts, pizza, Korean, phone chargers, pretzels, produce and the biggest which would be meats and cheeses plus a lot more.(Yes, they technically do have a grocery store inside but I'm not counting that and I'm also not counting Ag-Hall which is a separate building next door and all of their odd train/dog/pet/gun/knife/clothing shows that take place throughout the year.)For me I rarely stray from a few stands:* Amish Village Bake Shop* Dan's BBQ* Stoltzfus Amish Deli* Culinary Experts* S. Clyde Weaver* Mr. Bills Poultry MarketA few things to know IMHO:Pricing for certain things here is bad. Most produce is very, very high regardless of whether you're talking about it being out of season in winter or late summer when so many things are locally available and fresh. I've also made the mistake of last week buying two cloves of garlic at one of the produce shops that were black/rotten on the inside. That doesn't happen all the time but then again I would steer clear of any fruits/vegetables here.Especially in the meat/cheese department there is A LOT of overlap. Multiple places all selling the same things and it does help to shop around as places will do weekly specials so one week ring bologna might be $7.49/lb but next week it could be $5.19/lb. The bulk of the clientele have been coming here for their entire lives (I think the current longest continuously operating stand goes back to around 1960) and they know what they want. Aside from coming early in the day, it gets crazy busy here.A couple of reviewers mentioned the late Saturday sales and my take on that is of course it can be very hit and miss. Usually things that are in high demand will either already be sold out or there won't be a deal since a vendor like S. Clyde Weaver can just pack it up and truck it back to the home office in East Petersburg versus selling it at fire sale prices. I've had some luck with this but many, many people figured this trick out years ago and Saturdays in general are a zoo from about 10am on.Aside from one or two holidays plus when they close for two weeks to accommodate the Allentown Fair, the market is only open Thu-Sat.Other places certainly look nicer and they may have a greater variety into things like organics that overall you're not going to find here, but this place has a ton of diversity and once you find a few favorites it makes sense coming back week after week. A+
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December 2022 by Michelle H.
All of the food is fresh and good. The people give the best service and are extremely friendly. You can tell they're there every week. They're like family. The ambiance of the whole building is very busy, the bustling crowd seems to know where everything is located. I wish we lived next door but it is a pleasant 15 minute drive. Definitely going there many more times. Thank you man behind the counter at Soul Soup. You were so nice in handing me samples
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September 2022 by Ahmed I.
This place takes me back! Simplicity at its best this place is stuck in time. One of my all time favorite places to go to in allentown. The FOOD IS AMAZING always fresh and always tastes good
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August 2022 by Heather K.
Allentown fairgrounds farmers market has just about anything you may need to create a farm to table feast in your own home. The market was slightly crowded when we checked it out on a Friday afternoon and I would imagine is busier on the actual weekend. From soup to nuts this place has it all. Literally a soup shop and a nut store. They have popcorn, meats, produce, candy, spices and honey. It is a commingling of The Amish market, The Pensauken Mart, and the Columbus Flea Market all conveniently located in one massive building on the Allentown Fairgrounds. Stop in when feeling creative in the kitchen and grab the farm fresh ingredients needed to create a masterpiece from these friendly local vendors
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March 2022 by Maria D.
I've been to farmer's markets up and down the east coast and have to say this was one of my favorites. Conveniently located in the Allentown fairgrounds they have ample parking and lots of variety as far as fresh and prepared foods, it's well worth the drive for us, which is about 1.5 hours away. The place does get crowded and provides carts, while most vendors accepted plastic there probably is a few that doesn't. All the vendors are inside, which was clean and comfortably heated. Some goodies not to be missed.... The freshly prepared salads, wish I got the name of the business, but they said they were there 40 years. The cold mustard chicken pasta was delicious! Also worth mention is the pretzal vendor located in the middle. They had the biggest line and featured hot sandwhiches (more like little calzones) made with their freshly made pretzal dough. It was worth the wait. There's also an all natural homepathic pharmacy on the premises that will provide samples. Now that we know what to expect I can't wait to go back.
