Lincoln’s Markets

by Sriyani Tidball

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 on different days of the week. With Lincoln choosing fresher and more nutritious foods, this has become a great place for farmers to sell local treats and homegrown produce. It has also become a place to rendezvous with friends and often enjoy live music. Today our local markets produce and serve a variety of wonderful fruits, vegetables, baked good, organic meats and cheese, and a host of ethnic treats. 

Lincoln has many thriving health food stores, plus local markets and small ethnic stores that provide almost anything you need. Healthy homegrown food strengthens the local food economy and creates awareness of the social, environmental, and health benefits of eating what is grown locally. To add to these benefits, local markets offer an opportunity for 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.

The largest and oldest Farmer’s Market in the city spreads out in the Haymarket Saturday mornings from May to October.  

The Sunday Market on Old Cheney (moving in 2018 to College View) is also popular, offering much more than fresh produce.  

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 Lithuanian 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 homegrown 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. In 2018 it will be moving to College View to the Seventh-day Adventist church parking lot on 48th Street between Prescott and Lowell Avenues. 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 – 8 pm. After your shopping you can enjoy some great food and live music, family-friendly events, and handcrafted 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.

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 a recent addition for great organic food in the city. This chain store has a huge selection of everything.

Fresh Thyme is the newest healthy grocery store in Lincoln with very reasonable prices and great produce.

Located at 52nd and O Streets, the store stays open till 10.00 p.m.

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. 

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.

Guerrero’s Market
815 S. 11th Street • (402) 475-4720
A popular neighborhood and authentic Mexican grocery store.