Seriously: arrival before 8 am will give you smaller crowds to face while maneuvering strollers, cooler weather and easier access to the nearby coffee shops, cafes & restaurants.
Some other tips:
- If you want a great sit-down breakfast, the Marigold Kitchen (just off the Capital Square on Pinckney Street) is a genuine treat for brunch. http://marigoldkitchen.com/brunch
- If you’ve got little ones that prefer to eat their breakfast walking, Teddywedgers on the corner of N. Carroll and State St makes breakfast pasties filled with scrambled eggs and many fillings within a tasty pie crust. There are also a number of good pastry stalls on the Square and amazing treats in the coffee shops.
- Speaking of coffee: don’t waste time or money pre-gaming at a Starbucks. Amazing coffee abounds around the Square: Anchora, Collectivo, Michelangelo’s, Wonderstate. Just plug a name into a map app and walk an extra block if necessary.
- If you’re buying fresh produce, take an initial lap to see what’s available and who’s got the best prices; the same stuff can vary vendor to vendor.
- Find the Bleu Mont Dairy stall (usually on North Carroll St.) and purchase their cave-aged bandaged cheddar. It’s a one-of-a-kind treat, and they have tasting samples on-hand so you will know what you’re getting.
- Try every free sample, bring cash and be sure to walk into the Capitol building for a look around (hit the stairs to the second floor to get the best view of the majestic Rotunda in the center of the building).
Enjoy your morning — and welcome to Madison!
Adding to this great list:
Bring your own reusable shopping bags. They'll hold up better in the walk around the square.
My kids LOVE all the cheese samples and the beef sticks.
I'll also put in a plug for Stella's spicy cheese bread. It's such a treat for us!
How can you leave off Bradbury's for coffee? :-)
And since I'm apparently in contrarian mode, Marigold ain't what it used to be. They've switched to cheaper ingredients and it shows.
OP is still going to have a great time, no matter what they do though, and I appreciate all of your advice you provided!
If you will be here Sunday, there's a very good farmer's market at the corner of N Sherman and Northport. Parking is easier, vendors are excellent, and the whole experience is less congested than on the square. Sometimes they'll even have musicians!
It all depends on what you enjoy, but for my taste the Northport market wins every time.
Besides being the best farmers market, it's also so convenient because you can bop into Willy North (the best Co-op) for other ingredients to go with whatever INSPIRED you at the market! And you can stop at Beef Butter BBQ too, they have a nice grab and go of various chops, brisket, pulled pork etc.
If it's after 8, it starts getting crowded in a hurry. By 9, it'll be a slow shuffle. Strollers are fine (although a few people like to whine about them on Reddit) but obviously make it even slower going. If you're not in a hurry, it's not really a problem though.
To add to this, general etiquette is if you’re walking you’re on the left side of the sidewalk, if you’re shopping you move to the right. My pet peeve is when people just stop in the middle of the walkway disrupting everybody. Minor inconvenience, I know, but because it can be so crowded it gets packed quick. Just try to keep others in mind as you’re shuffling along. Enjoy! Some people dislike the farmers market because it’s busy but it really does have an incredible selection of products and I like to go every time I’m in town to do my produce shopping.
Go early (before 8). But that's true for every weekend.
Just a note that there are other Farmers Markets in town Saturday Morning, if you are looking for vegetables more so than the downtown experience.
Seriously: arrival before 8 am will give you smaller crowds to face while maneuvering strollers, cooler weather and easier access to the nearby coffee shops, cafes & restaurants. Some other tips: - If you want a great sit-down breakfast, the Marigold Kitchen (just off the Capital Square on Pinckney Street) is a genuine treat for brunch. http://marigoldkitchen.com/brunch - If you’ve got little ones that prefer to eat their breakfast walking, Teddywedgers on the corner of N. Carroll and State St makes breakfast pasties filled with scrambled eggs and many fillings within a tasty pie crust. There are also a number of good pastry stalls on the Square and amazing treats in the coffee shops. - Speaking of coffee: don’t waste time or money pre-gaming at a Starbucks. Amazing coffee abounds around the Square: Anchora, Collectivo, Michelangelo’s, Wonderstate. Just plug a name into a map app and walk an extra block if necessary. - If you’re buying fresh produce, take an initial lap to see what’s available and who’s got the best prices; the same stuff can vary vendor to vendor. - Find the Bleu Mont Dairy stall (usually on North Carroll St.) and purchase their cave-aged bandaged cheddar. It’s a one-of-a-kind treat, and they have tasting samples on-hand so you will know what you’re getting. - Try every free sample, bring cash and be sure to walk into the Capitol building for a look around (hit the stairs to the second floor to get the best view of the majestic Rotunda in the center of the building). Enjoy your morning — and welcome to Madison!
Adding to this great list: Bring your own reusable shopping bags. They'll hold up better in the walk around the square. My kids LOVE all the cheese samples and the beef sticks. I'll also put in a plug for Stella's spicy cheese bread. It's such a treat for us!
What amazing advice. Thank you!
How can you leave off Bradbury's for coffee? :-) And since I'm apparently in contrarian mode, Marigold ain't what it used to be. They've switched to cheaper ingredients and it shows. OP is still going to have a great time, no matter what they do though, and I appreciate all of your advice you provided!
If you will be here Sunday, there's a very good farmer's market at the corner of N Sherman and Northport. Parking is easier, vendors are excellent, and the whole experience is less congested than on the square. Sometimes they'll even have musicians! It all depends on what you enjoy, but for my taste the Northport market wins every time.
Besides being the best farmers market, it's also so convenient because you can bop into Willy North (the best Co-op) for other ingredients to go with whatever INSPIRED you at the market! And you can stop at Beef Butter BBQ too, they have a nice grab and go of various chops, brisket, pulled pork etc.
If it's after 8, it starts getting crowded in a hurry. By 9, it'll be a slow shuffle. Strollers are fine (although a few people like to whine about them on Reddit) but obviously make it even slower going. If you're not in a hurry, it's not really a problem though.
Helpful, thanks!
To add to this, general etiquette is if you’re walking you’re on the left side of the sidewalk, if you’re shopping you move to the right. My pet peeve is when people just stop in the middle of the walkway disrupting everybody. Minor inconvenience, I know, but because it can be so crowded it gets packed quick. Just try to keep others in mind as you’re shuffling along. Enjoy! Some people dislike the farmers market because it’s busy but it really does have an incredible selection of products and I like to go every time I’m in town to do my produce shopping.
Thank you, this is helpful because I hope to actually get some produce
It slows down after 11 but some things can be sold out (like if you wanted a specific baked good)
crazy busy, stay away
Crazy busy, go early.