Good Local Markets

by Sriyani Tidball

Healthy home-grown food strengthens the local food economy and creates awareness of the social, environmental, and health benefits of growing and eating what is grown locally. To add to these benefits, local markets offer an opportunity to food producers to bring their fare to Lincoln, creating a new, broader community. Local markets bring people together around food, and that is a wonderful ageless definition of the good life.

Local markets improve the health of a community. To buy local, support local farms, buy organic, buy fresh, eat healthy is the new motto in Lincoln —the city supports an amazing array of summer farmers’ markets all around the city. With Lincoln choosing fresher and more nutritious foods, this has become a great place for farmers to sell local treats and home-grown produce. Today our local markets produce and serve an array of wonderful fruits, vegetables and baked good, organic meats and cheese and a host of ethnic treats. The largest and oldest Farmer’s Market in the city, spreads out in the Haymarket Saturday mornings from May to October. Organic meats, fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, live music, and locally prepared foods line the Haymarket streets. It has become the popular place to be on a Saturday morning in Lincoln.  

The Sunday Market at 56th and Old Cheney is also popular, offering much more than fresh produce. Musicians, prepared foods, and fresh-cut flowers make this a great place to just enjoy Sunday morning, socializing with friends while shopping for great food.  

In addition, Lincoln’s diversity supports an amazing range of ethnic and specialty grocers from exotic Oriental vegetables to organic staples. There are multiple Asian, Mexican and Middle Eastern food stores, and even European markets. Whether you are looking for special chili paste, Asian eggplant or German bread, it’s available. Lincoln also has a number of health food stores offering healthy choices and organic fare.

Here is a list of some of the local markets and smaller grocers in Lincoln. We hope they keep you as happy as they have kept us.

Open Air Markets

These are only a few — there are new ones organizing every season. Many Lincoln churches also have small farmer’s markets.

The Farmer’s Market located in the Historic Haymarket (9th & P streets) is Lincoln’s largest farmer’s market that runs from mid-May to mid-October on Saturday mornings. It features fresh, locally grown produce, flowers, organic meats, baked goods, and handcrafted items with performances and demonstrations from 9 a.m. to noon. This is very popular with Lincoln residents and has become a place to meet friends on Saturday morning and enjoy some coffee and a muffin—purchasing some home-grown tomatoes, zucchini and other great produce is just a bonus!   

Sunday Market, at 56th and Old Cheney, runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday from May to November. It is one of the most diverse and entertaining markets in the city where you can find unusual produce as well as some of the best baklava in the world. With more than 60 vendors, the choices are incredible.

Havelock Farmer’s Market is a very popular mid-week market located in the north part of the city every Wednesday from 3:00 to 6:30 p.m. behind 6220 Havelock Avenue.

Fallbrook Farmers’ Market at North 1st and Fallbrook Blvd is a great stop for fresh, seasonal produce, farm-raised meats and eggs, farmstead cheeses, breads, pastries, and much more. It is a seasonal, producer-only farmers’ market nestled in the heart of the Fallbrook community in North Lincoln, which operates in the summer on every Thursday evening from 4:30 – 8pm. After your shopping you can enjoy some great food and live music, family-friendly events, and hand-crafted and artisanal products.

These are only some of the markets in Lincoln.
New specialty shops open every year in many
different neighborhoods.

Little Saigon Oriental Market
940 N 26th St. # B • (402) 435-4367
Family-owned and well stocked with fresh fish, meats, vegetables and fruits including durian and lychees and many more wonderful exotic fruits.

Mai Lee Seafood Transport
2416 O St.
Specialties: Asian staples, including fresh fish, oriental vegetables, clothing, knick-knacks for sale, and Vietnamese videotapes for rent.

The Oriental Market
612 N. 27th St. • (402) 475-0556
Specialties: Foods and spices from all Asian countries, including teas, fresh oriental spices, many varieties of soy, fish and oyster sauces, rice, noodles and festival foods.

Vina Market
611 N. 27th St., Suite 4 • (402) 475-0556
Specialties: All your ingredients for Asian food, including exotic fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, meat and condiments in an atmosphere reminiscent of a store in Southeast Asia.

Akin’s Natural Foods Market
6900 O St., Meridian Park • (402) 466-5713
Specialties: Organic foods, herbs, baked goods, fresh produce, vitamins and supplements.

Open Harvest
1618 South St. • (402) 475-9069
Specialties: Large variety of bulk foods, organic foods, tofu, all-natural baked goods, baby food, fresh produce, fresh seafood, organic personal care items, health-oriented deli with meals to eat in or carry out.

Ideal Grocery
905 S. 27th St. • (402) 476-2177
Specialties: Full-service store, top-of-the-line goods and gourmet foods, cut-to-order meats and deli items, friendly workers in ties and green aprons who pack your groceries and carry them to you car. This family-owned store has been a part of the Lincoln fabric for many decades and is known for high quality fresh produce and meats. You can call in your order and they will deliver your groceries.

Leon’s Gourmet Grocer
32nd & South Streets • (402) 488-2307
Specialties: Long-time neighborhood store with specialty food items, market deli featuring items made from scratch using original recipes, cut-to-order meats, gift shops, delivery.  

Trader Joe’s
30th & Pine Lake Rd. (SouthPointe) • (402) 328-0120
Organic foods, herbs, baked goods, fresh produce, wine and beer, flowers, vitamins and supplements.

Whole Foods
58th & O Street  • (402) 486-6000
This is the newest organic food store in the city. This chain store has a huge selection of everything.

Harvest European Market
300 N 27th St. # 3 • (402) 435-2522
Specialties: Offers a variety of European goods and a vast array of sausage and deli items.

Jung’s Oriental Food Store
3031 O St. • (402) 435-8915
Specialties: A variety of Oriental and Indian foods, fresh vegetables, tofu, spices and homemade chili paste are available.

King Tut’s
1642 O St. • (402) 475-9337
Specialties: Middle Eastern, Indian and Greek dishes and ingredients, including stuffed grape leaves, vegetable sandwiches, baklava, fresh feta cheese, Greek olives, Middle Eastern and Indian spices.  

Suji’s India Grocery
3140 O Street • (402)858-6420
The Indian Grocery offers a wide selection of Indian staples, snacks, fresh and frozen produce as well as some prepared foods.

For a list of Markets selling Spanish fare read the article Latin Lincoln.

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