All year long, Avondale Estates Farmers Market builds on its welcoming vibe, growing community.

As you stroll past Avondale Estates’ Stratford-upon-avon-inspired storefronts on a Sunday morning, there is a sense of being taken back in time for just a few hours.

Strolling west from the quaint shops and small eateries, a parking lot bustles with the Avondale Estates Farmers Market, where you’ll find a diverse collective of farmers and small business owners. While the Tudor revival architecture of downtown has remained the same, you begin to notice sweeping changes just before you reach the market.

Dip down any of the side streets and you’ll be greeted by breweries, hip bars, art shows and garden markets. Up toward the market you can see immense expansion: the nearly finished modern green space, and the caffeinated crowds gathering around the market’s collective of artists, artisans, chefs, baristas and farmers.

From 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. every Sunday, the farmers market bustles with vibrant conversation surrounding local, sustainable produce and a sense of community. Voices spill out over empanadas and green onions, discussions range from how the farm-to-cup fair trade coffee process works to what it means to make your own peanut butter. On Sundays, when the portable pastry maker Galette is at the market, fellow vendors stop by their booth to grab a bite before the crowds start streaming in. Once that happens, patrons will line up for one of their croissant/muffin hybrids, the cruffin, or a scone.

Market attendee Bradford Ulrich stops to buy tacos and a Dr Pepper from the Venezuelan food stand Mrs. Rosa’s. As he continues past some of the more than 30 vendors, he stops briefly to learn about pet rescue before moving over to get organic honey for his nightly tea. Pivoting right, the market bursts into a symphony of incredible aromas and cultural flavors, from the Estonian treats of Estoetno to the amazing bread from Sweet Syria’s Middle Eastern specialties to the pan European flavors of Sausage World, even.

“It really is such a cool thing to have a nice, tight-knit space like this to come and talk with your friends and neighbors about life over good treats and drinks,” Ulrich said.

This small, shared space has had a big impact on Avondale, not only in providing locally sourced goods, but also as a place for neighbors and local business owners to interact.

Where it all started

My Parents’ Basement owner and market co-founder Lawson Wright, along with fellow founders Doug Rolph, Katy Workman, Jenn Joyner and Barry Adair, got the market up and running in summer 2013.

“The original setup was hosted via Pine Street Market and Little Tree Art Studios in an old parking lot where the new park is now,” Wright said. “Back in 2019 and leading into 2020, the market had a season that went from basically just after Easter

COURTESY Circle M Farms, based in Molena, is among the many fresh produce purveyors that set up shop at the Avondale Estates Farmers Market, one of Georgia’s year-round markets.

COURTESY Avondale Estates Farmers Market founders, from left, Lawson Wright, Doug Rolph, Barry Adair, Katy Workman and Jenn Joyner have kept a good thing growing since 2013.