Asheville City Market is a Saturday farmers market on North Market Street in downtown Asheville, North Carolina, operated by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP). It brings together farm vendors and local food and artisan sellers, with hours that change by season.
- Location: North Market Street, between Woodfin and Walnut streets.
- Regular schedule: Saturdays, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. from April through November.
- Winter schedule: Saturdays, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. from December through March.
- Payment: Cash, cards and SNAP/EBT are accepted through different options at the market.
Where is Asheville City Market, and when is it open?
Asheville City Market is on North Market Street between Woodfin and Walnut streets in downtown Asheville. The street closes to traffic during market hours, so plan to arrive on foot, by bus or using the customer parking locations.
ASAP advises that there are no markets during the weeks of Christmas and New Year's; check its social media or newsletter for the exact dates. Schedules can vary around the year-end holidays, so check the official site before you go.
Opening hours
- Saturday: 9 AM–12 PM
- Monday to Friday and Sunday: closed
Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.
ASAP opened the market in 2008 to give farmers more opportunities to sell, particularly those who could not access existing market options. The market later moved from Charlotte Street to North Market Street in 2017. It operated on A-B Tech's campus during the COVID-19 pandemic before returning downtown at the start of the 2022 season.
What can you find at Asheville City Market?
Farm vendors at Asheville City Market grow or raise the products they sell themselves. ASAP also gives preference to non-farm vendors whose products are prepared or processed locally, or made with locally sourced ingredients.
Market offerings include fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries and other artisan products. The season-wide vendor list is not a guarantee that every seller attends each Saturday, so check ASAP's weekly vendor schedule if you have a particular vendor in mind.
Bringing a reusable bag is useful; most vendors have plastic produce bags, and bags are also available to buy at the market information booth.
You can pay most vendors with cash or a credit or debit card. SNAP/EBT is another option: at the information booth, customers can swipe an EBT card for SNAP tokens in $1 increments, with a match of up to $20 in Farm Fresh Bucks for fruits and vegetables.
The booth also sells market tokens in $5 increments for credit or debit. Tokens work like cash, do not expire, and vendors give change in cash.
How can you fit a market stop into your Asheville day?
The Saturday morning schedule makes the market a natural stop before continuing with downtown plans. The city-centre drive from Whispering Pines Motel takes about 10 minutes, though that is the travel time to Asheville city centre, not a market-specific journey time. For a broader plan, a one-day Asheville itinerary can help you arrange other stops around the morning market.
At the market, the information booth sits in the center, in front of the Thomas Wolfe Center. You can use it to buy tokens or ask about SNAP/EBT options.
If you are driving, free customer parking is available at the HomeTrust Bank lot and the Family Justice Center lot across from the YMCA at 35 Woodfin Street. Handicapped parking is available at the customer parking locations.
The N1 and N2 bus routes stop one block from the market on Broadway, with stops at both Woodfin and Walnut streets. If you are sorting out transport for the rest of your visit, getting around Asheville from the motel covers broader city transport planning.
What should you check before setting out?
Confirm the Saturday schedule and holiday-week arrangements with ASAP before leaving, especially around Christmas and New Year's. Check the weekly vendor schedule if you are making the trip for a particular farm or product.
The street is closed to traffic during market hours, so use the market's parking locations or bus stops rather than planning to drive along North Market Street.
If you are planning lodging alongside your city visit, you can review the motel's available room options as part of the same trip planning.
FAQs
Is Asheville City Market open every Saturday?
Open Saturday; closed Sunday to Friday. ASAP says there are no markets during the weeks of Christmas and New Year's. Check ASAP's social media or newsletter for the exact holiday dates.
Where can you park for Asheville City Market?
Free customer parking is available at the HomeTrust Bank lot and the Family Justice Center lot across from the YMCA at 35 Woodfin Street. Handicapped parking is available at the customer parking locations.
Can you use SNAP/EBT at the market?
Yes. The information booth can exchange an EBT swipe for SNAP tokens and a match of up to $20 in Farm Fresh Bucks for fruits and vegetables.