Wondering where to find a Portland Maine farmers market in every season? Shop Saturdays in Deering Oaks Park from spring to November, then move indoors to Stevens Avenue for winter Saturdays.
This guide is part of our wider look at living in portland maine, where food, seasons and everyday routines meet.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Continuous operation since | 1768 |
| 2026 outdoor season | April 18 to Nov 25, 2026 |
| Saturday hours, Deering Oaks Park | 07:00-13:00 (08:00 start in November) |
| Winter Saturday hours | 09:00-13:00, Dec 5, 2026 to April 10, 2027 |
| Winter location | 631 Stevens Ave |
Schedule figures come from Table Journey’s Portland markets page, and the 1768 start date from Wikipedia’s Portland Farmers’ Market entry. Dates, hours and locations can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
When and where the market runs
The Saturday market is the anchor. As of Table Journey’s 2026 listing, it runs 07:00-13:00 in Deering Oaks Park from April 18 to Nov 25, 2026, with an 08:00 start in November.
The indoor winter market then takes over on Saturdays at 631 Stevens Ave, 09:00-13:00, from Dec 5, 2026 to April 10, 2027, according to the same listing. Note the gap between the last outdoor date and the first indoor Saturday.
A Wednesday market also runs in the outdoor season. Table Journey places it at Deering Oaks Park, 7am to 1pm, and calls Wednesday the shopping day for Downtown Portland and the Islands of Casco Bay, with the most farmers from late April to the day before Thanksgiving.
Older sources put Wednesdays elsewhere. Friends of Deering Oaks says the farmer permit covers Wednesdays in Monument Square plus the Deering Oaks event, and a 1993 Down East item lists Wednesdays in Monument Square and Saturdays in Deering Oaks Park.
Sources also describe the outdoor season length differently:
- Table Journey’s 2026 listing: April 18 to Nov 25, 2026.
- Wikipedia: May to November for Wednesdays and Saturdays in Deering Oaks Park.
- Portland Food Map: April through October, in an older-looking listing.
Treat the 2026 dates as your working schedule, and confirm the day’s hours and location with the market before you travel.
What you will find through the seasons
Early spring is about flowers. Friends of Deering Oaks says the farmers bring color and texture to the park way before there are crops for sale, offering the promise of gardens of your own, according to its market page.
By harvest time, you can choose traditionally grown or organically grown vegetables and fruits of all sorts, per the same page. Many of those farmers also run retail operations at their farms.
Across the year, Wikipedia describes the stalls as mostly vegetarian goods. Typical items include:
- Fresh vegetables and fruits
- Fresh flowers and seedlings
- Canned goods, maple syrup and honey
- Raw milk, eggs and meat
The same entry notes that farmers only sell items they grow or make, and that artists sell wares and musicians play at the market.
The indoor winter market
The market has run year-round since 1990, according to Wikipedia. From December to April, the winter market is held on Saturdays in the former Catherine McAuley High School building.
Its home has changed several times:
- 2009: it began in a privately owned building on Free Street, across from the Cumberland County Civic Center.
- 2010: it moved to the Irish Heritage Center in the West End.
- 2017: it moved to the Maine Girls Academy on Stevens Avenue in Deering Center.
The same entry quotes a Portland Press Herald report that the winter market struggled with the city’s ordinances and regulations, which are stricter than state law for farmers markets. Check the current listing for the address each winter.
Farmers market sellers and how you pay
Every booth comes from a single farm in southern Maine, according to Friends of Deering Oaks. Its page describes the Saturday market as having 20 or so farmers.
The rules are strict about origin. A farmer pays $80 for a City of Portland permit, the product must be produced on a farm in the local vicinity, and up to a third of it can come from a different operation as long as it was grown locally, per the same page.
For benefit cards, the market began accepting food stamp benefit cards in 2012 as part of a $300,000 USDA grant to the organization Cultivating Community, according to Wikipedia. A 2026 tip on Table Journey says Maine Harvest Bucks doubles what SNAP/EBT shoppers spend on produce and food-bearing plants.
A market with a long history
The Portland Farmers Market has been in continuous operation since 1768, according to Wikipedia. That year, a public market in the Town Hall served 136 families on the peninsula.
The market has moved often:
- 1805: Hay Market Square, now Monument Square.
- 1917: Federal Street, next to Lincoln Park.
- 1976: across from Federal Street.
- 1990: its present locations, Monument Square and Deering Oaks Park.
In May 2010, Travel + Leisure magazine named it one of the ten best farmers markets in the United States, as the same entry records.
Practical tips for visiting
- Go early. Saturday hours begin at 07:00, and November openings are at 08:00.
- Check the day. Wednesday and Saturday editions may differ in size, so confirm which one suits your plans.
- Plan your payment. Ask at the booths how benefit cards and Maine Harvest Bucks work before you fill a bag.
- Dress for the season. Outdoor stalls stay open through November, and winter Saturdays move inside.
If you live on an island, Table Journey calls Wednesday the shopping day for the Islands of Casco Bay, so check the casco bay islands ferry timetable alongside the market schedule. For reaching Deering Oaks without a car, start with our guide to portland maine public transportation.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Portland Maine farmers market in winter?
Show answer
Yes. As of Table Journey’s 2026 listing, winter Saturdays run 09:00-13:00 at 631 Stevens Ave from Dec 5, 2026 to April 10, 2027.
Which days does the market run?
Show answer
Saturdays in Deering Oaks Park, plus Wednesdays in the outdoor season. Sources disagree on the Wednesday location, so confirm it before you go.
Can I use SNAP benefits at the market?
Show answer
The market began accepting food stamp benefit cards in 2012, according to Wikipedia. Table Journey’s 2026 listing adds that Maine Harvest Bucks doubles SNAP/EBT spending on fruits, vegetables and food-bearing plants.
Is everything sold at the market grown locally?
Show answer
Farmers only sell items they grow or make. Under the permit rules described by Friends of Deering Oaks, up to a third of a product can come from a different operation, but it must be grown locally.
