September 23, 2026 · Bellevue

People ask me about the Bellevue Farmers Market more than you might expect. It comes up in buyer consultations surprisingly often, usually from someone moving from Seattle or another city where a weekly farmers market was part of their routine. They want to know if Bellevue has that. The short answer is yes, and it's genuinely good.

Where It Is and When It Runs

The market runs on Thursdays, mid, May through late October, in the Old Bellevue neighborhood on 102nd Avenue NE between Main Street and NE 2nd Street. The hours are roughly 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., though the vendors with the most popular items tend to sell out before the closing bell, especially if it's a warm summer Thursday.

Old Bellevue is a good setting for it. The streets are walkable, the restaurants nearby make it easy to extend the outing into lunch, and the parking situation, while not perfect, is manageable if you arrive before noon. There's a parking garage on 102nd that most people use, and street parking opens up a block or two away if you're willing to walk a few minutes.

What You'll Actually Find There

This is a producer only market, which matters. It means the vendors are the people who actually grew or made the product, not resellers buying from a warehouse and marking it up. The Bellevue Farmers Market Association has enforced this for years, and you can tell the difference when you're there. When you ask a vendor how something was grown or what variety an apple is, they know the answer.

The produce selection is strongest in midsummer through early fall. Stone fruits from eastern Washington show up in July and August, corn and tomatoes peak around August, and fall brings winter squash, potatoes, and the best of the apple crop. In May and June, expect more greens, radishes, spring onions, and early strawberries.

Beyond produce, the market has a solid mix of:

• Bread and baked goods from a handful of regular vendors who rotate through the season
• Flowers, particularly dahlias later in the summer, which this region grows exceptionally well
• Eggs, honey, and small batch preserves
• A few prepared food stalls with hot options for eating on site
• Occasionally mushrooms, which tend to attract a line

It's not the biggest market in the region. The University District Farmers Market in Seattle runs year round and has more vendors. But for Bellevue residents, the Thursday timing and the Old Bellevue location make it genuinely convenient, and the quality is consistently high.

The Thursday Timing: A Real Consideration

Thursday mornings work well if you have flexibility in your schedule, but it's worth being honest that this is a weekday market. Retirees, remote workers, people with part time schedules, and parents of school age kids who can drop off and then head over tend to be the regulars. If you're commuting to Seattle or working a traditional office schedule, you're essentially relying on the lunch hour window, which is doable but rushed.

The market has never added a weekend day, which is a common question. That's worth knowing before you plan your week around it.

How It Fits Into the Old Bellevue Neighborhood

One reason the market works as well as it does is what surrounds it. After you shop, the stretch of Main Street in Old Bellevue has good coffee, a mix of restaurants, and a few independent shops. It doesn't feel like an outdoor mall the way some parts of Bellevue do. The blocks immediately around the market have a more relaxed, neighborhood scale feel than the Bellevue Square corridor a few blocks away.

For buyers looking at homes in the 98004 zip code, which covers much of this area, proximity to the farmers market is something that actually comes up as a selling point, and reasonably so. Being able to walk or bike to the market on a Thursday morning is a real lifestyle feature, not just a talking point.

A Few Practical Tips

Bring cash. Most vendors take cards now, but a few still prefer cash, and if you're buying from multiple stalls, cash moves faster and avoids the occasional connectivity issues you get with mobile readers at outdoor events.

Bring bags. Reusable bags or a sturdy tote make a real difference, especially if you're picking up both produce and flowers.

Come early if there's something specific you want. The vendors with artisan bread, popular flower arrangements, or specialty mushrooms tend to be picked over by 12:30. If you arrive at 1 p.m. on a nice day, you'll still find plenty, but the selection won't be what it was at 10:30.

Parking on the street just north of the market on 103rd or 104th is often less competitive than the main garage if you're familiar with the grid. It adds maybe a five minute walk, but on a busy summer Thursday that can save you a frustrating loop around the block.

Is There Anything Missing?

A few things the market doesn't have, at least not consistently: meat and seafood vendors are less reliably present than at some larger markets. If you're specifically looking for a weekly source of local beef or fresh salmon, you may find the Bellevue market thin on those days. The University District market and the Eastside version of the Pike Place satellite options have more in that category. Also, the market closes in late October, so there's no cold weather option here the way there is in some other cities.

None of that is a reason to skip it. It just means it works best as one part of how you shop rather than a single stop for everything.

Is the Bellevue Farmers Market open year round?

No. It runs seasonally from mid, May through late October on Thursdays only. There is no winter market in Bellevue, so if you want a year round option, the University District Farmers Market in Seattle operates every Saturday regardless of season.

Is this a producer only market, or do vendors resell other farms' products?

It is a producer only market, which means vendors are required to sell what they grew, raised, or made themselves. The Bellevue Farmers Market Association enforces this policy. In practice it means better quality and more knowledgeable vendors, since you're talking directly to the grower.

Can you walk to the market from the Bellevue downtown core?

Old Bellevue is about a ten to fifteen minute walk from the Bellevue Square area, depending on where you're starting. If you're staying at one of the downtown hotels or live in a condo along Main Street, it's genuinely walkable. From neighborhoods like Medina or Clyde Hill, most people drive.

What time of year has the best produce selection?

August through early October is the strongest window. That's when eastern Washington stone fruits are winding down, corn and tomatoes are peaking, and the early apple varieties start appearing. Dahlias are also at their best in late summer, if flowers are what you're after.

Is there food you can eat on site, or is everything meant to be taken home?

There are usually a few prepared food vendors with hot items, enough to make a meal of it if you want to eat while you browse. The surrounding Old Bellevue restaurants are also a natural extension of the visit if you want a proper sit down meal after shopping.