A Year of Sundays at the Birmingham Farmers Market

The Birmingham Farmers Market runs every Sunday from May through October in the parking lot on Old Woodward, and it has become one of those weekly rituals I protect on the calendar. It is not the biggest market in the area, but it is the one I actually go back to, week after week.

The flower vendors are where I start. There is one grower who brings dahlias in late summer that are so absurdly beautiful I have started designing my kitchen table around whatever she has. The produce is solid, especially the sweet corn in July and the heirloom tomatoes in August. There is a bakery stand with sourdough that I have never been able to walk past.

The trick is to go with a loose plan and not too much cash, because the SAMPLES. The honey vendor, the salsa person, the guy with the empanadas. You will try everything and then buy at least half of it.

My best advice: go early for parking and first pick, or go late for the last-hour deals when vendors would rather discount than haul things back. Mid-morning is the sweet spot for atmosphere, though. Live music sometimes, kids running around, neighbors catching up. It is a good hour of your Sunday.