The Farmer’s Market: a Falls Church City tradition

Liam Timar-Wilcox, Managing Editor|November 21, 2019

Two+men%2C+one+standing+with+a+guitar%2C+the+other+sitting+and+playing+a+shaker%2C+play+for+a+crowd+at+the+market.

Two men perform “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens, while a crowd gathers. Musicians often play live music at the market. (Photo by Liam Timar-Wilcox )

The Falls Church Farmers Market is an important part of the Little City and is a popular place to buy fruit, produce, meat, baked goods, and more from local sources. The market is held every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., from April to December in the parking lot of the Falls Church Community Center.

Since 1984, the Farmers Market has focused on supporting local farmers, while also striving to protect the environment. Around 48 vendors come from all around the region to sell their products at the market. Most vendors hail from near Northern Virginia, but some come all the way from southern Pennsylvania or West Virginia.  

Many of the vendors have a focus on healthy, organic foods. One such vendor is Guy Hobbes, who has been selling hydroponically grown greens at the Farmers Market for 20 years. His store, Endless Summer Harvest, is based in Purcellville, VA, around 40 miles west of Falls Church. 

“Everything I grow is grown in water, so this way you get no fertilizer, no pesticides, no herbicide runoff,” Hobbes said. “We recoup 90% of the water, so it’s very easy.”

A smiling man helps a man buying sausages at a stand.
A man working at the stand for Stachowski’s Market, a butcher shop based in Georgetown. (Photo by Liam Timar-Wilcox)

Not all vendors travel long distances every Saturday – some are based here in Falls Church. The Village Preservation and Improvement Society sell coffee and other drinks, but it isn’t a traditional store. Their profits go towards funding for new streets and parks in Falls Church. 

“It’s a community unifying event, people come from all over, you get to see your friends and neighbors, the food is good, the produce is fresh, and it’s quite large” Gordon Theisz, a Falls Church resident, said.

This sentiment is shared by many in the Falls Church community, which can be seen by the crowds drawn to the stands every Saturday.

“There are a number of things that make the market great but the biggest reason is that it develops and promotes a sense of community,” Howard Herman, the manager of the Farmers Market, said. “Residents gather with their neighbors, shop together and take the time out of their busy schedules to visit and talk about the news of the day, happenings in the City or providing updates about their respective families.”