National Farmers Market Week kicks off Sunday, August 2, and Chester County's farmers markets will be stocked with peak-summer produce: sweet corn, peaches, tomatoes, peppers and melons straight from local farms.

For West Chester shoppers, the anchor event is Saturday, August 8, when the West Chester Growers Market opens at 9 a.m. at Church and Chestnut streets in downtown West Chester.

The county's original producer-only market runs until 1 p.m. every Saturday through December, and its strict rule means every item sold (fruits, vegetables, beef, eggs, flowers, cheeses, jams, honey, bread) is farmed or made by the person behind the table.

"It has been a real honor to work with our local farmers and also meet a lot of the members of our community and bring them both together," market manager Carrie Harkness said at the Chester County Commissioners' July 16 proclamation ceremony, where she accepted the National Farmers Market Week designation on behalf of all 10 participating markets.

The AgConnect Farmers Market Trail

This is the second year of the passport-style program. Shoppers pick up a trail map, visit each of the 10 participating markets, collect a stamp at each stop, and submit the completed map by Thursday, December 31, to earn an AgConnect swag bag.

The 10 trail markets are:

  • West Chester Growers Market — Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., 201 N. Church St., West Chester
  • Artisan Exchange — Saturdays, 10 a.m., 208 Carter Dr., West Chester
  • Downingtown Farmers Market — Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., 28 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Kerr Park (SNAP accepted)
  • Eagleview Farmers Market — Thursdays, 3–6 p.m., Eagleview Town Center, Exton (SNAP accepted)
  • Malvern Farmers Market — Saturdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Burke Park, Warren Ave. & Roberts Rd. (SNAP accepted)
  • Berwyn Farmers Market
  • KSQ Market (Kennett Square)
  • New Garden Growers Market
  • Oxford Village Market
  • Phoenixville Farmers Market

Full hours and locations for all 10 markets are available at go-agconnect.org, which also hosts a digital version of the 2026 Chester County Farm Guide featuring more than 125 local farms and agricultural businesses. Trail maps are available at any participating market or online.

Two West Chester markets, two experiences

The Growers Market on Church Street is the traditional open-air, producer-only market. A few blocks away, the Artisan Exchange at 208 Carter Dr. operates year-round indoors every Saturday starting at 10 a.m. It has supported more than 230 small businesses, with over 75% of its members women-owned, and provides weekly produce donations to Chester and Delaware County food banks.

AgConnect program manager Jordan Peek framed the stakes at the July 16 ceremony: farming, he said, is "a huge economic driver, not only in Chester County, but across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

Upcoming community calendar

  • Saturday, August 8 — West Chester Growers Market, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Church & Chestnut streets
  • Every Saturday through December — Artisan Exchange, 10 a.m., 208 Carter Dr., West Chester
  • Thursdays through December — Eagleview Farmers Market, 3–6 p.m., Eagleview Town Center, Exton
  • Thursday, December 31 — Deadline to submit completed AgConnect Farmers Market Trail maps