My family loves hitting up local markets when visiting a new city to get a flavor for the area. On a recent visit to Rochester we had the opportunity to visit the Rochester Public Market.
The Market opened at its current location in 1905 and has been a year round institution every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in Rochester. Mixing fresh produce, artisanal cheeses and meats, crafts, food vendors, cheap plastic toys and numerous other niche specialties, the Rochester Public Market is a melting pot of ethnic backgrounds bringing a diverse crowd of visitors each week. For an added bonus, the Rochester Public Market is open year round!
You can easily spend hours at this massive market. Visiting feels a bit like other major urban markets, such as the Hay Market in Boston, but with a slight tinge of the bizarre like feeling of walking through a Central American market. The smells are intoxicating as you pass the dried herb and spice vendors and your palette melts at some of the prepared food tables.
One of the most famous stops at the Market is Juan and Maria’s Empanada stand “Home of the Highly Addictive Spanish Foods”. Along with the 10 different made from scratch empanada’s, Juan and Maria serve various other rice and bean dishes and fresh fruit drinks. My hungry family got lucky and actually found empty bar stools and dined on the best breakfast empanadas we’ve ever tasted.
The Market is such an institution in the City of Rochester that supportive residence have formed a Friends of the Market that offers tours of the Market’s past and present.
When visiting Rochester, make sure to bring a cooler and stock up on foodie delights at the Rochester Public Market!
Go Visit!
Rochester Public Market 280 N. Union Street Rochester, NY 14609 www.cityofrochester.gov/publicmarket/ Hours: Open Year Round Tuesday / Thursday 6AM to 1PM and Saturday 5AM to 3PMYou may be also be interested in:
- A Visit to the National Museum of Play at the Strong in Rochester
- Rochester’s Museum Trifecta: Eastman House, Memorial Art Gallery and the Rochester Science and Museum Center
- A Girl’s Guide to the Women’s Suffrage Movement: Visiting the Susan B. Anthony House
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Twitter: SandraFoyt
August 21, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Yum! I’d visit just for the empanadas!
Sandra Foyt recently posted..Borderline
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