As you stroll past Avondale Estates’ Stratford-Upon-Avon-inspired storefronts on a Sunday morning, there is a sense of being taken back in time for just a few hours.
Strolling west from the quaint shops and small eateries, a parking lot bustles with the Avondale Estates Farmers Market, where you’ll find a diverse collective of farmers and small business owners. While the Tudor revival architecture of downtown has remained the same, you begin to notice sweeping changes just before you reach the market.
Credit: Kameron Wickam
Credit: Kameron Wickam
Dip down any of the side streets and be greeted by breweries, hip bars, art shows and garden markets. Up towards the market you can see immense expansion: the nearly finished new modern green space, and the caffeinated crowds all gathering around the market’s collective of artists, artisans, chefs, baristas and farmers.
From 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. every Sunday, the farmers market bustles with vibrant conversation surrounding local, sustainable produce and a sense of community. Voices spill out over empanadas and green onions, discussions range from how the farm-to-cup fair-trade coffee process works to what it means to make your own peanut butter. On Sundays, when the portable pastry maker Galette is at the market, fellow vendors stop by their booth to grab a bite before the crowds start streaming in. Once that happens, patrons will line up for one of their croissant/muffin hybrids, the cruffin, or a scone.
Market attendee Bradford Ulrich stops to buy tacos and a Dr. Pepper from Venezuelan food stand Mrs. Rosa’s. As he continues past some of the more than 30 vendors, he stops briefly to learn about pet rescue before moving over to get organic honey for his nightly tea. Pivoting right, the market bursts into a symphony of incredible aromas and cultural flavors, from the Estonian treats of Esto Etno’s, to the amazing bread from Sweet Syria’s Middle Eastern specialties, to the pan European flavors of Sausage World, even.
“It really is such a cool thing to have a nice, tight-knit space like this to come and talk with your friends and neighbors about life over good treats and drinks,” Ulrich said.
This small shared space has had a large impact on Avondale, not only providing locally sourced goods, but as a place for neighbors and local business owners to interact.
Credit: Kameron Wickam
Credit: Kameron Wickam
Where it started
My Parent’s Basement owner and market co-founder Lawson Wright and fellow founders Doug Rolph, Barry Adair, Katy Workman and Jenn Joyner got the market up and running in summer 2013. “The original setup was hosted via Pine Street Market and Little Tree Art Studios in an old parking lot where the new park is now,” Wright said.
“Back in 2019 and leading into 2020, the market had a season that went from basically just after Easter to just before Thanksgiving,” said Wright. “Then the pandemic hit in March of 2020. After an enormous amount of careful thought and preparation we reopened in April or May of 2020. Being an outdoor ‘grocery store’ was considered essential but mostly it was just people scurrying around picking up pre-purchased orders.”
Eventually, more attendees and vendors returned. “As things eased, the number of small start-ups increased dramatically and the demand had been established for our market. This led us to being open year-round,” said Wright.
Wright foresees a future in which the entire market could grow into the adjacent, sprawling new green space across from Skip’s Chicago Dogs.
Wright is grateful that the AEFM has become “one of the state’s only year-round markets which helped entice and support many new vendors.” A few of those vendors have now evolved into their own brick-and-mortar stores or longer-term pop-up residencies, including Flour & Time Bakery and Sugar Loaf.
Credit: Kameron Wickam
Credit: Kameron Wickam
Sugar Loaf — with the tagline “Southern inspired. Globally influenced.” — has gone from making cakes and pastries to a current residency at Decatur’s S.O.S. Tiki Bar. Former professional dancers Lindsay and Nebi Berhane infuse their food with the culinary traditions of various cities they’ve cooked in, including Chicago and New York. They hope to eventually expand into a fast-casual breakfast and lunch cafe.
Flour & Time Bakery, tucked about two blocks behind My Parent’s Basement, features cold brew and pecan pie from owner Leah Parris. She hopes to expand into other parts of Atlanta, a journey that began in Avondale Estates.
“I decided to expand into farmer’s markets. I applied to several but the AE market was the first to give us a shot,” Parris said. “For that, I am forever grateful.”
According to market founder Lawson, the “market’s central mission has remained the same since day one: to aid in the growth and success of vendors that make the market what it is and to provide a safe and reliable place for new businesses to get their start.”
IF YOU GO
Avondale Estates Farmers Market
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays year-round. 22 N. Avondale Road, Avondale Estates. avondaleestatesfarmersmarket.org.
