The area was teeming with people who leisurely walked about the variety of tables and stands enjoying the nice weather after what felt like a long winter. Cash changed hands as people bought fruits, desserts, and more from what seemed like an endless array of vendors’ displays. The Rochester Public Market is truly one of the community’s hubs.
While I don’t live far from the City of Rochester, I had never experienced what the Public Market was like. So I traveled there to see what the buzz was all about.
The Rochester Public Market has been open on North Union Street since 1905 and has become a hot spot for the local community and vendors. The market offers local produce, meats, seafood, eggs, dairy products, ethnic delicacies, flowers, and general merchandise. It’s also home to businesses such as cafes and food stands.
“Just honest to god it’s just the diversity of people,” said India Childers on what she loves about the market.
Childers is the owner of Dolci Pastries and Confections; which is a pastry, confectionery, and cake studio dedicated to making gluten-free desserts. Childers started the business after she tested positive for a gluten allergy and wanted to create food that tasted the same to her as before.
She told me this as I bought some lemon bars from her later in my trip. But when I first arrived at the market gates, I could tell that the place would be packed and, and I’d been warned that parking would be an interesting challenge. While my friend and I lucked out on finding a decent spot, it was slow going because people were walking around everywhere and you needed to be vigilant.
Finally, once inside I was able to walk around and really get a feel for the market. This experience was exciting and informative.
The first lesson I learned was that you needed to bring cash. While some vendors do accept cards, many don’t accept that method of payment.
Since I lacked cash I wasn’t able to buy much, but that didn’t stop me from making a mental list for the next time I go. However, I was able to buy a few items.
Along with the lemon bars, the first place I bought something was Hettie’s Delites Cafe. The cafe offers an array of food including vegetarian and vegan options. I ordered a burrito that had egg, cheese, and home fries with a chai latte. Let me tell you, that was an awesome breakfast and the best chai latte I’ve had.
For this outing I dragged along my friend, Victoria Price from Corning, NY. This was also her first experience at the Public Market.
“It was wonderful to see so many locals selling fresh vegetables and fruits,” said Price. “Some stands even had fresh, homemade honey and jams. The Public Market was a lot bigger than I expected and so many shoppers came, it was great.”
The Rochester Public Market is open on Tuesday and Thursdays at 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. all year round excluding certain holidays.