The Wake Forest Farmers Market is open every Saturday of the year. It switched to winter hours on Saturday, Nov. 7, and now runs 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday through March. In winter, though, a Saturday visit works differently. Several farms that keep selling through the cold months take orders during the week, and the market's three biggest dates before the new year are already set. If you plan on Wednesday, Saturday is easier.
The market has been running since 1998. It's a nonprofit owned and run by its vendors, according to the Wake Forest Journal's market guide. It sets up on South Taylor Street behind Town Hall, where it moved in 2019 from the depot parking lot on South White Street. Wake County's market locator gives the address as 235 S. Taylor St.
One hour shorter, every Saturday through March
From April through October, the market runs 8 a.m. to noon. From November through March, it runs 9 a.m. to noon. That cuts a four-hour Saturday to three, and the hour that goes away is the early one.
The Town of Wake Forest's market page lists the same seasonal schedule. The market runs in all weather. For questions on a given week, the market's phone number is 919-306-8186 and the manager's email is [email protected].
Why winter tables depend on what grows within 75 miles
What you find on a winter Saturday comes down to the market's rules. Its 2026-2027 vendor application describes a 100% producer-only market. Products must be made within 75 miles, and the market doesn't allow reselling, direct marketing, multilevel marketing or 3D-printed goods. So a November table holds whatever farms and makers within that radius are producing in November.
The vendor directory separates two kinds of sellers. Regular vendors come every Saturday, and guest vendors come for specific dates or seasons. Some familiar summer names keep a seasonal schedule. Brogden Farm's page says Ronnie Brogden of Creedmoor is usually at the market during the regular April-to-October season. The farms that do sell through the winter tend to work by order.
The winter booths that take orders midweek
Two of the market's farms set themselves up for shoppers who order ahead.
Many Hands Farm is about 30 minutes from the market. It sells produce, baked goods and flowers, and says it grows everything without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. The farm says it aims to have salad mix, carrots, onions, radishes and other greens all year, along with seasonal produce. You can buy at the booth, preorder on the Many Hands Farm website and pick up curbside, or order online for home delivery. Its market page lists Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to noon, the same as the winter schedule.
Turtle Mist Farm was started by Bob and Ginger Sykes on a 60-acre property in Franklinton. It's mainly a meat farm, and it raises its animals without hormones or antibiotics. Its list includes hair sheep, pastured Gelbvieh beef cattle, Bourbon Red turkeys, Muscovy ducks, free-range laying hens, Toulouse geese, quail, and several heritage hog breeds, including Berkshire and Ossabaw. The farm's market page explains how ordering works:
"We will take pre-orders for pick up at the Wake Forest Farmers Market on Saturdays or on the farm by appointment. Quantities may be limited and we will respond to let you know what's in stock."
Orders go through the Turtle Mist contact page or by text to 919-702-6155. With Thanksgiving on Nov. 26, the farm's own wording on limited quantities matters more than usual.
The rest of the directory lists ready-to-buy items. Carthage Fresh makes Mediterranean spreads and dips, including hummus and tzatziki, plus homemade pita chips. Culver Woodworking is Doug Culver's handmade cutting boards and boxes, and Firewithn Pottery is also on the vendor list. The Journal adds potters, woodworkers and the Master Gardeners to the general mix. The gift-type vendors lead into the dates that matter most this season.
Three Saturdays with something extra
The market's events page and Holiday Artisan Market page set three special Saturdays between now and the end of the year. All three fall within the regular winter hours.
| Date | Event | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | Pre-Thanksgiving Market | 9 a.m. to noon |
| Saturday, Nov. 28 | Holiday Artisan Market, with Santa | 9 a.m. to noon |
| Saturday, Dec. 19 | Holiday Artisan Market, with Santa | 9 a.m. to noon |
These dates fit the preorder pattern. The Pre-Thanksgiving Market falls the Saturday before the holiday. A Turtle Mist order placed the week before could be picked up that morning. The holiday page says Santa will be at the market and that the artisan vendor list for the two holiday Saturdays is coming soon. The Nov. 28 market falls two days after Thanksgiving. The Dec. 19 market falls the last Saturday before Christmas.
Paying with SNAP and Double Bucks
The Town's market page says the market accepts SNAP. Wake County's farmers market locator lists the Wake Forest market as accepting EBT and Double Bucks. The county's page explains that EBT spending is doubled into market tokens and covers how the program works.
The Thursday market on Brooks Street is a separate operation
Downtown also has a second market, on Thursdays. The NCFST Mobile Market is run by the town's Northern Community Food Security Team with Ripe for Revival, a group that turns retired buses into refrigerated mobile grocery stores. It parks on South Brooks Street across from the Northern Regional Center at 350 E. Holding Ave. and is open 3 to 4:30 p.m., rain or shine.
Its schedule also changes for the holidays. It usually runs on the second and fourth Thursdays, but in November and December it moves to the first and third Thursdays. Nov. 5 has passed, so the remaining dates this year are Nov. 19, Dec. 3 and Dec. 17.
It's also run differently. According to the town's mobile market page, items carry suggested prices that average about 25% below grocery store prices, as summarized by the Journal. At checkout, shoppers pay the full total, part of it or nothing. There are limits on meat, dairy and eggs but none on produce, and it's open to everyone. It takes cash and card.
Downtown now has two markets on two different days through the end of the year. The Thursday bus is pay-what-you-can. The Saturday market on Taylor Street is producer-only, and in winter it's built around preorders and three special dates. For a Thanksgiving turkey or a box of winter greens, the order goes in before Saturday.
We follow these downtown calendars closely because we're part of this community. If you're settling into Wake Forest this winter, or helping family who just arrived, Carolina Elite Realty Group is happy to share our local notes on the Saturday market and the rest of downtown. Schedule Your Consultation and we'll start with what's happening this month.
