River Arts District (RAD) Farmers Market
Description
Asheville's farmers market in the River Arts District
The River Arts District Farmers Market (RAD) brings local produce, baked goods, and handmade items to Asheville's creative quarter. It is a working farmers market set inside a working arts district, and that combination is what makes it different from every other market in the city.
If you have seen "RAD" on a sign or a listing and wondered what it stands for, that is it: River Arts District, the riverside neighbourhood of converted warehouses, working studios, and galleries just west of downtown.
What makes this one different
Most farmers markets are about the food and nothing else. This one sits among the studios, so the stalls run wider: farm produce and baked goods alongside genuinely handmade artisan goods, made by people who work in the neighbourhood.
The practical upshot is that it rewards browsing. You can arrive for vegetables and leave with a piece of pottery, and neither feels like an afterthought. For anyone who finds pure produce markets a little transactional, this is the one to pick.
What you will find
Seasonal produce direct from local growers, fresh baked goods, and handmade items from area makers. As with any market that follows the harvest, the line-up changes through the season — what is on the tables in early summer looks very different from what is there in autumn.
The market also runs workshops, which is unusual and worth knowing about if you like the idea of learning something rather than only shopping.
SNAP and EBT
The market accepts SNAP/EBT, so benefits can be spent directly with local growers. If that applies to you, it is worth knowing before you plan your week — not every market in every city does this, and it makes fresh, local food meaningfully more affordable.
Make a morning of it
This is the market's real advantage: you are already somewhere worth spending time. The River Arts District is full of working studios and galleries, most within walking distance, and a lot of them are open when the market is on.
The obvious plan is to do the market first, while the selection is best, then walk the district afterwards with whatever you have bought. Bring your own bags, bring smaller bills for individual growers, and go earlier rather than later if there is something specific you are hoping to find.
Asheville's other markets
RAD is the best pick if you want your market trip to come with something else attached. If you are after a different day of the week or a different part of town, Asheville has a market running somewhere most days — see our guide to Asheville's farmers markets for the full weekly picture, or browse every farmers market we cover.
What is available?
Produce, Mushrooms, Cheese, Bread, Baked goods, Meats, Fermented foods, Juice, Specialty Products.
Located : Outdoors at New Belgium Brewery, River Arts District
Location: New Belgium Brewery, 21 Craven St, Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: N/A
Opening Hours: Wednesdays, 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Parking: Parking available at New Belgium Brewery.
Seasonal Schedule: Year-round
