Farmer’s markets are the best places in Reno to scope out fresh foods while holding a coffee in one hand and a canvas tote in the other. There, you can take your time in the open air to pick your farm-fresh greens, meet local farmers, sample small-batch honey, and sniff some handmade soaps. Whether your favorite recipe calls for heirloom tomatoes or a fresh-baked loaf of bread, these markets offer good food that doesn’t have to be trucked in from far, far away.

In Reno, the farm-to-table spirit runs deep. Riverside Farmers Market at Idlewild Park has become a Sunday ritual, connecting sustainable growers with city dwellers year-round. Shirley’s long-running Village and Tamarack Junction markets, both local fixtures since the ’90s and early 2000s, turn summer mornings into neighborhood gatherings. And at Reno Food Systems’ Park Farm Stand, the nonprofit’s mission-driven approach means you’re investing in regenerative agriculture and community education.

Each of these markets helps us connect with growers, grocers, nature, and one another. They link Reno’s small farms, ranches, and makers directly to the people who love what they produce. From accepting SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks to hosting local musicians and workshops, these markets are redefining what it means to “shop local.”

Let’s take a closer look at Reno’s Farmer’s Markets that our readers love.

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Riverside Farmers Market 

Idlewild Park

Riverside is Reno’s truly local farmers market held at Idlewild Park, 2055 Idlewild Dr. It’s positioned as “Reno’s only year-round farmers market,” with a mission to keep vendors as local as possible and an emphasis on organic, pesticide-free, and pasture-raised goods. Current posted hours are Sundays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., with minor seasonal time shifts. 

Operating as a nonprofit entity with a stated goal to grow the number of sustainable (organic/regenerative) farms serving Truckee Meadows, Riverside curates small, local, and sustainable farmers and ranchers, plus prepared-food makers who try to use organic and unprocessed ingredients. Riverside also maintains an interactive weekly vendor map and rotating roster of micro-farms, ranchers, bakers, and makers from the immediate region; in community coverage, you’ll find vendors like home-based bakers and artisan bread outfits highlighted. Vendors change from week to week.

Riverside frames its ethos as “eat your altitude,” tying freshness to regional resilience. The market also positions itself as a bridge to regenerative agriculture in the high desert. 

Shirley’s Farmers’ Markets

The Village Shops + Tamarack Junction

Shirley’s operates in two main spots each weekend. One is at The Village Shops, on California Avenue, and the other sits near the Tamarack Junction Casino on South Virginia Street. 

Shirley’s is the longest-running farmers’ market in Reno and among the longest-running in Nevada. It was founded and is managed by longtime organizer Shirley Sponsler. The Village Shops market opened in 1995. It’s part of Shirley’s Farmers’ Markets network that has operated multiple Reno markets over the decades. Sponsler has organized multiple markets in the region since the early 90s. 

From June through early autumn, on Saturday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the stalls brim with fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, jams, artisan foods, and more. The Village location generally runs into the first week of October, but at Tamarack Junction, they usually wrap up a bit earlier in the fall. 

Locals talk about Shirley’s with fondness. Regulars chat with farmers to find out which varieties are best each season. The market accepts SNAP/EBT and senior nutrition coupons, and even runs a “Double Up Bucks” program to help stretch food budgets for produce. 

Walking among stalls under tents, you’ll find that Shirley’s is less about spectacle and more about connection. It’s a piece of Reno’s weekend rhythm, where Saturday doesn’t feel right unless you’ve wandered those aisles. We’re truly sad that it’s closed until the spring.

Reno Food Systems

Park Farm Stand – Mayberry & McCarran

While not a classic multi-vendor market, the Reno Food Systems (RFS) Park Farm Stand functions like a compact, hyper-local market on the nonprofit’s five-acre urban farm (“Park Farm”) at 3295 Mayberry Dr. The stand runs seasonally on Sundays, 3–7 p.m., typically from late spring through fall. Expect produce straight from the fields, herb bundles—both fresh and dried, periodic U-Pick offerings, and native pollinator plants. 

Reno Food Systems is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit stewarding urban-ag programs in Reno. Its Park Farm sits by Betsy Caughlin Donnelly Park. RFS acknowledges several founding members who helped build the nonprofit and its infrastructure. RFS runs education, workshops, community gardening, and gleaning/food-recovery initiatives across the area. 

Partnerships with local farms & small businesses are essential to Reno Food Systems. RFS collaborates widely—working with other local food organizations, hosting workshops, and funneling unsold produce to partner orgs serving food-insecure residents. It also engages volunteers and AmeriCorps participants, strengthening ties across the regional food system. 

RFS is seasonal, operating on Sundays from 3–7 p.m., generally through November (weather dependent). 

Beyond the stand, RFS frames its mission as “growing food, feeding people, and building community,” emphasizing regenerative practices and education. It was highlighted in local media for closing loops in the food system by collecting donations and offering on-farm composting and animal feed.