Westside Farmers Market

Just across the bridge from campus and a few minutes down Genesee Street lies the Westside Farmers Market. The market runs on Tuesdays from 4 to 8 pm from mid-June to early October. It offers fresh local produce, prepared food, live music, bike repairs, and more. Luckily for UR students, it is easily within walking or biking distance.

My first stop at the market was the R Community Bikes trailer for a tune-up on my bike. I put my name on the waiting list and set off to peruse the market.

After making my rounds, I decided to get dinner from Philomina’s stand. For $8 I got a bowl of delicious beans, rice, and steamed vegetables. I was so pleased to have a complete vegan meal with fresh, seasonal ingredients that tasted excellent. For those of you who eat meat, she also has a chicken stew that people enjoyed. Her oat bars received rave reviews too. She has a table at the Rochester Public Market, so if you miss the Westside Farmers Market, you can get her food there! Going to markets is a great option for getting out of the campus food rut.

Dinner in hand, I went to the seats by the R Community Bikes area to eat and wait for my bike to get worked on. Soon after I finished eating, a man named Steve came over to get my bike and fix it. I told him the gears wouldn’t change, the brakes were very loose, and my bike lock was rusty. In about half an hour he was done and it was like I had a new bike! I’m so appreciative of Steve and his fellow volunteers for offering free bike repairs to community members.

Other offerings at the market included gluten-free and vegan baked goods, vodka and moonshine by Saratoga Courage, honey and beeswax products from Sweet Beez. Naturally, this being a farmers market, there were also a handful of farmers selling a variety of wares. If I weren’t on a meal plan, I definitely would have bought lots of produce from the vendors, but I refrained in an effort to save money. A couple of friends who live off-campus left the market with three bags full of food.

Be sure to check out the Westside Farmers Market when it opens back up in June!