All photos used in this article are by photographer Daniel James
Williamsburg, Virginia is loaded with fun and educational activities for visitors. But local foodie travelers will always make sure they add the Williamsburg Farmers Market to their itineraries. This award winning, producer-only Saturday market features 40 local vendors -- farmers, bakers, watermen and chefs -- offering a wide selection of food and beverages.
The market is a fantastic jumping off point for your visit to the area. From there, you can venture on an agritourism excursion -- visit a winery, tour a farm, cuddle baby goats -- or eat at a local food restaurant. Market Manager Tracy Frey shared with us her recommended excursions and we have included them below.
Williamsburg Farmers Market
Duke of Gloucester Street and P4 Parking Lot
345 W Duke of Gloucester Street
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Saturdays from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm, March 4 through December 23, 2023.
The Market features 40 vendors focused on produce, prepared food and farm related products grown or made in Virginia and has been serving between 1,000 and 1,500 people on any given Saturday. The market’s live music and great location at Merchant’s Square in Colonial Williamsburg make it both a local favorite and an attraction for visitors from across the country and around the world.
In operation since 2002, the market offers a diversity of products, bringing together farmers, bakers, watermen and a variety of prepared food vendors. Share in the celebration of local, fresh food and community.
The Williamsburg Farmers Market does not allow reselling. That means that the people doing the growing and producing are the same smiling folks who sell those products to you at Market. Got a question about how your food is grown? You’re at the right place, because at the Williamsburg Farmers Market, the salesperson is also the farmer!
Market Vendors to Visit
Bees Knees Farm & Creamery
West Point, VA
Sarah and Dennis WIlliams own and operate Bees Knees Farm in West Point, Virginia. They raise Alpine dairy goats, Berkshire pigs, meat and laying chickens, heritage turkeys and rabbits on 25 acres of regeneratively managed mixed pasture and woodland. They are proud to be a compassionate goat dairy, where kids (baby goats) stay with their moms and share milk with the dairy. All animals are fed non-GMO grains from a Virginia feed mill, and no pesticides, herbicides, hormones or antibiotics are used on the land or animals. Snuggle baby goats in their Kid Cuddling Sessions, book a private farm tour and visit their on farm store.
Hampton Roads Winery
Elberon, VA
Hampton Roads Vineyard & Winery is situated in the beautiful rural area of Elberon, Virginia, just south of Surry and across the James River from Jamestown. Located at White Oak Farm where Harry Spratley first raised horses in 1898 for the New York City carriage trade, it is now where grapes are grown, wines are made, Red Angus cattle are raised, and is home to the World's Tallest Goat Tower.
Ditchley Cider Works
Kilmarnock, VA.
Come and relax on our working farm and cidery. Play on the water, walk the 160-acre property or visit nearby historic/cultural sites. Overnight guests have access to our small beach and miles of Dividing Creek and the Bay to explore on our paddleboards.
Drumheller's Orchard
Lovingston, VA
Drumheller’s Orchard is nestled at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The orchard has been family owned & operated since 1937. The Drumhellers raise many varieties of apples, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, plums & pluots. Drumheller’s Orchard has two apple festivals per year. They always fall on the last weekend in September and the third weekend in October. We have apples, apple butter, apple cider, honey, side meat, country hams, cookbooks, pumpkins, baskets, baked goods, etc. We have a wide range of activities for all ages, such as hayrides to the pumpkin patch, an apple sling shot, and kids zone. Last but not least there is always food and country music; only on our festival weekends. Our local Ruritan Club has BBQ chicken, BBQ sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and drinks. We also have vendors who have funnel cakes, pork skins, apple dumplings, and Brunswick stew.
Grayhaven Winery
Goochland, VA
Founded in 1978, Grayhaven is one of the oldest commercial vineyards in Virginia and holds the 22nd Farm Winery License issued in a state that now boasts over 300 wineries. The winery is known for its innovative estate wines, imported South African wines, unique cultural events, friendly staff and the ever-popular offerings from its Artisan Farm Kitchen. Just 25 minutes west of Richmond and 30 minutes east of Charlottesville.
Haashrooms - Group Wild Mushroom and Wild Food Forays
Goochland, VA
Haashrooms is a 65 acre mushroom farm in Goochland, Virginia offering Wild Mushroom Hunts. Learn to locate and identify wild mushrooms and wild edible plants with Steve Haas. Group hunts are conducted on Sundays beginning in April at HaaShrooms Mushroom Farm in Goochland County throughout the year and are open to the public. These hunts are extremely popular and fill quickly! Private hunts are also available.
Haley's Honey Meadery
Hopewell & Fredericksburg, VA
A family owned and operated micro meadery focused on great mead and serving great people. The emphasis on “shopping local” is what has made Haley’s Honey Meadery an attractive destination. Utilizing quality ingredients from the community has led them to produce amazing products beloved by the people of Hopewell and beyond. It is what continues to differentiate them and make Haley’s Honey Meadery truly unique.
Tasha’s Own
James City County, VA
A family owned and operated venture of love and commitment to reviving the lost arts. Afternoon At the Farm Workshops - participate in a host of purposeful crafts and skills. Learn practical methods for reducing waste. Milk the goats and make cheese, soap and butter. Walk the fields and forests and taste wild edibles and make wild medicinals. Take a peek into the beehives and make beeswax candles and honey candy.
Virginia Sustainable Living Farm Camp - enhanced summer camp experience for children ages 5-14. Our farm camp focuses not only on sustainable living, but in good stewardship of the land and following the traditions of early settlers and the Native First Virginians. Children will participate daily in all farm chores (feeding, watering, distributing hay, gathering eggs, planting, weeding) and will also assist in the gathering and preparation of all food consumed at camp.
KelRae Farm
Toano, VA
Field Trips, Summer Camps and Tours -- Bring your students out to KelRae Farm for a hands on, educational, and memorable field trip! Each summer we offer a hands on summer camp for kids to come and learn about and experience farm life! We are excited to offer group tours at KelRae Farm, customizable to best fit the interests of any group size and age.
“Roots Down, Forks Up” Summer Camp at KelRae Farm - Children between the ages of 6 and 12, get ready to get your roots down and your forks up! To ensure a personal experience for all, camp is limited to 20 reservations, so reserve your spot today! What are some of the ways KelRae Farm will make your summer an exciting, unique, hands-on and educational adventure? Farm to Fork Lunch, Make Goat Cheese, Make Goat Soap, Make Homemade Bread, Seed Planting, Meet New Friends and so much more….
Pumpkinville
Toano, VA
Pumpkinville is a fun, seasonal treasure located in Toano, VA and is owned and operated by Allens Farm in nearby Barhamsville, VA. Your family can pick their own pumpkin from our patch or choose from our large selection in the yard. Pumpkinville offers fun for everyone who enjoys the Halloween Holiday Season. Decorations fill the fenced in area to create a festive autumn atmosphere that lasts all October. There are lots of free activities such as the hayride that runs the perimeter of the field, a cornfield maze, bean bag toss, ring toss and other games.
Millfarm Christmas Trees and Berry Farm
Williamsburg, VA
Located minutes from Williamsburg, MillFarm is one of only a few tree farms in Southeastern Virginia. They also offer pick your own berries in season. Bill Apperson spent his career in the Virginia Department of Forestry and credits his career as a forester with kick starting the Christmas tree endeavor over forty years ago. Using extra greenery and a deciduous holly called “Winterberry”, the family offers greenery and wreaths to their customers both at the farm and at the Williamsburg Farmers Market.
After Christmas, they plant nearly three thousand new trees next to the old cut stumps and are hard at work on the small fruit side of their business. The farm property once housed an orchard, and after Bill grew trees for a number of years, he chose to put some of the land back into fruit production in the form of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Fruit harvest is mostly a pick-your-own affair, but the family takes a portion of the fruit crop to the market, where local berries are wildly popular.
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Local Food Restaurants
Williamsburg area restaurants sourcing ingredients from farmers market vendors and other local farms.
The Colonial Williamsburg Inn
Iconic elegance and an exceptional culinary experience.
Williamsburg Lodge
Local flavors inspired by the South.
Cochon
Chef Link and Chef/Co-owner Stephen Stryjewski are working with locally sourced pork, fresh produce and seafood, focusing on traditional methods, creating authentic flavors of Cajun country.
Amber Ox
Every plate provides an elevated level of inspiration, by the utilization of the finest ingredients around.
Waypoint Seafood & Grill
The Waypoint menu is a celebration of Chesapeake ingredients and includes items grown at local farms and caught in regional waters. The pure flavors and rich ingredients presented in the seasonally changing entrees represent a variety of Mediterranean cuisine with classical culinary heritage.
The Virginia is for Farmers Market Lovers Trail
If you love shopping at your local farmers market and eating with the season, this trail is for you. The Virginia is for Farmers Market Lovers Trail connects local food lovers with Virginia’s farmers markets, farms, and farm-to-table restaurants.
Start planning your local food centered road trip today. Use our map to find a Virginia farmers market.
