Boise, ID

The smell of kettle corn wafts through the air as you approach 8th Street on Saturday mornings in Boise. To me this can only mean one thing, a visit to the Saturday Market, Boise’s bustling weekend farmer’s market and art sale.
On a fairly regular basis I find myself at the 8th Street Market walking past booths while waiting for a call from Wanda at Goldy’s Breakfast informing us a table has finally opened up. It’s a nice place to pass the time, people watching and checking out the fresh produce.
The Capital City Public Market can get pretty hectic some weekends if the weather is nice. Make sure to come early if you want parking near by or plan on walking a little. The market officially opens at 9:30 am but runs until 1:30 pm on Saturday’s so I have plenty of time to sleep in before heading down.
From downtown I work my way up Bannock towards 8th Street. Its easy to tell when your getting close by the music visitors heading back to their cars with crates of fresh berries in hand.

Between Bannock and Grove Street one comes across a variety of venders, from fresh made donuts to wine tasting to ceramic kitchenware, all can be found there, along with plenty of interesting people and entertainment.
The Market has its fare share of musicians come to play in return for some listeners and spare change, but also invite different acts to entertain the crowds. While one Saturday might host a band, the next might have a local traditional Irish dance group amuse visitors, and if all else fails one can always take a refreshing run through the Grove fountain.

After taking a stroll through the tents, envying the handmade jewelry and drooling over the delicious tasting lemonade, I returned back to Dawson Taylor to grab a coffee and await the call that might mean the end of my hunger.

The Capital City Market is a good place to visit if you’re at all interested in fresh produce or local arts and crafts. This being said it’s not a place for the faint of heart. For those who find crowds repellent stay back! This is not the place for you. On the other hand, it’s a great way to introduce ones self to the local flavor of Boise downtown and an interesting place to take friends or family that might be visiting from out of town.