Here at the Dallas Moms Blog, we like to eat and more importantly, we like to teach our kids about the source of the food in which we eat. My son’s mind was blown the other day when I mentioned we were going downtown to the farmers market to check out the grand opening of “The Market”.
“What’s a farmers market, mom?”
“It’s a place where the farmers get to sell their food directly to the people who eat it instead of sending it to the grocery store, ” I explained.
“Wow! That’s awesome!”
It’s the simple things, folks…
Have you been downtown to the Dallas Farmers Market lately?
Meet “real farmers” and food artisans in the newly opened and updated downtown Dallas Farmers Market. In the past, there were complaints about the downtown market: the source of the produce wasn’t always from farmers, but rather large wholesalers, the place was dirty and filled with pigeons, and produce quality wasn’t always ideal.
Last summer, things changed in “The Shed”, the outdoor covered pavilion and heart of the food heaven. Certain days a week, 
shoppers can expect to find vendors who are either growers, producers, or have a relationship with the people who are. These days are the best times to get local bread, local veggies, and fresh eggs. New vendors promise fruit and veggie quality is better than it used to be.
Find schedules for specific vendors and produce here.
This month, the second phase of the new renovation opened: The Market. This is what was formerly known as “Shed 2”. Inside the 26,000 square-foot Market, you will now find a place to pick up artisan cheese at Scardello Cheese, fresh seafood at Rex’s Seafood, and homemade stocks and soups at Stocks and Bondy. My kids loved sampling the cheese and seeing the real fish market. I loved the new Italian coffee shop.
Don’t want to cook tonight? The Market is also a fun alternative for the family to dine in. My children and I made a full lunch out of tamales from La Popular, tacos from Taqueria La Ventana, and macarons (my all-time FAVORITE sweet) from Chelles Macarons. It was a meal much like if you plop down in a food truck park and let everyone pick their choice for dining.
Click here for a full list of vendors inside The Market.
Coming up next for the Dallas Farmers Market: a highly-anticipated stand-alone restaurant and beer garden called Mudhen. It should open in January 2016.
Also, be sure to check out Gabrielle’s DMB post on other farmers market stops around town. Farmers markets can be such a fun source for children to see the food up close, try samples along the way, often experience live music, and enjoy the great outdoors.
Dallas Farmers Market: 1010 S Pearl Expo
The best place to park is in the parking lot located behind the Scottish Rite building at Young and Pearl Streets. You can enter the lot via Pearl Street.
Check the website for specific information on what days and hours the farmers market is open.
I just took my preschooler and toddler there earlier this month! We stuck to the outdoor area, though. I wanted them to see and understand what a farmers’ market is since they really love the Dallas Farmers Market exhibit in the children’s play area of the Perot Museum. I introduced the concept to them with the book Farmer’s Market Day by Shanda Trent. My kids had a blast! http://www.readandgodo.com/2015/12/an-outing-to-farmers-market.html
A fun related activity to do with preschoolers is check out the farmers market exhibit in the family area of the Perot Museum – it’s my girls’ favorite exhibit and is based on the Dallas Farmers Market. In fact we checked out the real Dallas Farmers Market earlier this month just so that they could have better understanding of what this exhibit is supposed to represent.