A summer Sunday at the Albuquerque Rail Yards Market. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Growing up in Pinellas County, Florida, a regular weekend ritual involved our family driving to the Wagon Wheel Flea Market near Pinellas Park. Over the years, those trips involved everything from me picking up overstuffed baked goods from Smirlis Bakery in Tarpon Springs to finding another great book for me to add to my personal library.
Site of the former Wagon Wheel Flea Market, Pinellas Park, 2023. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Although the Wagon Wheel closed in 2020, memories of the fresh farm products and countless kitsch collectables remain strong.
Since moving to New Mexico, I have had an opportunity to visit a few of the farmers markets located in cities near or along the fertile Rio Grande Valley and the northern mountain ranges. Below are a couple of the largest farmers market in the state, though there are smaller ones throughout New Mexico.
Santa Fe Farmers' Market
The year-round Santa Fe Saturday Market attracts visitors, sun or snow. Photo by Jim Schnur.
A community institution since 1968, the Santa Fe Farmers' Market has become an important gathering place for growers, artists, and crafters. The Market moved to a variety of locations during its first three decades before arriving at the Railyard. Temporary relocations happened again in the early 2000s.
Arriving on Rail Runner at the Santa Fe Depot for a visit to the Market. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Since Rail Runner service reached Santa Fe in December 2008, patrons from areas spanning southward to Belen have used the rail service to make a trip of upwards of 100 miles each way to reach this market. Rail Runner trains arrive from areas such as Belen, Los Lunas, Albuquerque, Bernalillo, Rio Rancho, and nearby Pueblos to the Santa Fe depot, a short walk away from the Saturday Market.
The Rail Runner offers convenient access to the Market without the need to find a parking space or feed meters in Santa Fe.
Crowds crossing Alcaldesa Street to go to the Farmers' Market. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The Farmers' Market extends along the eastern side of the rails north of Paseo de Peralta. During summer months, outdoor stands extend as far as Alcaldesa Street. On the western side of the tracks, other outdoor vendors sell arts and crafts, including a wide variety of paintings.
Entering the Farmers' Market from the Santa Fe Depot. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Between early May and late December, the Santa Fe Farmers' Market also includes Tuesday hours at this site, as well as a second Tuesday morning "Del Sur" Market from July through September at 4801 Beckner Road, near Interstate 25.
Booths along former railroad tracks at the Santa Fe Railyard. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Green chile roasts are common during the summer at the Santa Fe Market. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Although many of the vendors reside in Santa Fe, others come from Espanola, Las Vegas, and various areas of north-central New Mexico. Some vendors travel from Hatch and Hobbs, farming communities hundreds of miles away.
Southern entrance to the interior spaces at the Farmers' Market. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Produce and sunflowers on sale along the tracks. Photo by Jim Schnur.
A "Garden of Flowers" (Jardin de Flores) at the Farmer's Market. Photo by Jim Schnur.
During the colder months, most of the vendors remain indoors. The Saturday gatherings happen in all weather, including wintertime snow, a real possibility in a city with an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet above sea level.
A late winter Farmers' Market in early March 2025. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Side doors opened during the summer months for expanded traffic. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Walking through the Sante Fe Market just before closing. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Sunflowers, apples, onions, and other produce for sale. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Rail Yards Market in Albuquerque
Once a place to repair locomotives, this building now hosts a popular market. Photo by Jim Schnur.
A short distance south of downtown Albuqueque, the Rail Yards Market began in 2014 in former railroad maintenance buildings and nearby spaces. The Market runs on Sundays from May through October, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Entering one of the Market buildings, with rails on the floor. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The Rail Yards Market thrives in the Barelas neighborhood, once an independent farming community and later an important center of commerce and the railroad industry. Vendors at this Market sell a variety of locally-grown produce, baked goods, and New Mexican crafts.
Some of the crops available by season. Courtesy of the Rail Yards Market.
Those entering the Market first encounter food trucks and boba tea vendors. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Street lots throughout the Barelas neighborhood fill with vehicles on Sundays when the Market takes place. Other patrons catch the Rail Runner or use the ABQ RIDE mass transit system.
Vendors fill indoor and outdoor spaces at the Rail Yards. Photo by Jim Schnur.
One of the two large railroad buildings where vendors sell their products.
Photo by Jim Schnur.
Throughout the season, a variety of themes and events coincide with these Sunday gatherings. Whether it's an old school automobile show, celebrations of red-versus-green chiles, or enjoying locally grown sandias (watermelons), the Rail Yards is a popular summertime destination.
Aguas frescas, a Mexican staple of sweetened fruit water, are popular. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Mexican-style birria and barbacoa are popular in ramen, on tortas, and tacos. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Many of the food vendors celebrate the New Mexican, Mexican, and Southwestern foods abundant in this area. Aguas frescas with a variety of flavors are found in the hands of many shoppers. Delicious chamoy pickled fruits and sauces add a sweet and tangy taste. Tortillas, roasted green chiles, and other popular foods are found throughout the Rail Yards Market.
Summertime heat does not scare away visitors. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The scent of fresh food permeates the area. Photo by Jim Schnur.
A peek at downtown Albuquerque from the Barelas Market at the Rail Yards. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The Market offers a diverse array of products and crafts. Tasty samples are offered, aromatic soaps are available, and the omnipresent turquoise jewelry is sold. Large sunflowers, commonly sold at many local farmers markets, are regularly available in this Albuquerque location.
Colorful produce is a popular commodity. Photo by Jim Schnur.
People in the Rail Yards 25 minutes after the Sunday opening. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Artists, honey vendors, and bakers fill the spaces in the Rail Yards. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The nonprofit that operates the Rail Yards Market works with Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque to offer a variety of programs, including a summer movie series and free veggie boxes for eligible seniors.
Fresh vegetable vendors sit alongside crafters. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Helpful information booths assist visitors looking for vendors. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Crowds abound 30 minutes after opening. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The Rail Yards Market is a great place to visit if you are in the Albuquerque area. The abundant options of produce, prepared foods, drinks, and crafts make this a destination to add to your itinerary.
A "free speech" area allows a variety of voices to share their thoughts. Photo by Jim Schnur.
An old building hosts new delicacies and treasures. Photo by Jim Schnur.
New Mexican themed products are popular with locals and tourists alike. Photo by Jim Schnur.
A second popular farmers market in Albuquerque is the
Downtown Growers' Market. Located where Copper Avenue NW meets Central Avenue, this seasonal market runs from April through early November on Saturday mornings.
Another nearby venue exists in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, a separate village in Bernalillo County along the eastern shore of the Rio Grande. An area known for its ranches and agricultural bounty, this community supports a
Growers' Market on Saturdays that also includes artistic gatherings.
Corrales Growers' Market
The Corrales Growers' Market includes produce, prepared food, and other goods. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Corrales is a historically significant agricultural community immediately north of the Cottonwood area of Albuquerque. Located in Sandoval County, this area benefits from the rich alluvial soils adjacent to the Rio Grande. Acequias (irrigation ditches that channel water) provide irrigation throughout the village.
The
Corrales Growers' Market operates on Sundays mornings from late April through early November. The Village of Corrales retains an agricultural focus, and this gathering takes place in the heart of town, a short distance from the beautiful
Corrales Public Library.
The Growers' Market shortly after it opened on a summer Sunday morning. Photo by Jim Schnur.
If your travels bring you to these areas, plan a visit to these farmers markets.
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