advertisement

A mainstay of the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood and of the city itself, Eastern Market has been operating continuously since 1873, not even pausing after a fire in 2007 (indoor vendors moved to a parking lot across the street until the building reopened in 2009). Inside, 13 vendors in their separate stalls sell fresh produce, pasta, seafood, meats, cheeses, sweets, flowers, and pottery Tuesday through Sunday. Every Tuesday from 1 to 7pm, a farmers’ market operates outside the main hall. Weekends are when things get really lively, when more than 100 arts and crafts merchants, plus an additional 20 or so farmers and open-air food vendors sell their wares on the outdoor plazas surrounding the market. The street is closed to traffic in front of the market, and the block teems with families and singles doing their weekly grocery shopping, and even the occasional congressperson (many live in the neighborhood). For a real hometown experience, come for blueberry buckwheat pancakes (“bluebucks”) served for breakfast at Market Lunch inside the market, until 11am Tuesday through Friday, until 1:30pm Saturday and Sunday.