There are many reasons to buy local, but the best reason is flavor. Food that doesn’t travel as far is fresher. In Downtown State College, seasonal eating is just a short walk away with farmers markets twice a week, and our independently owned restaurants which use locally grown and sourced food. Our markets are attended by a selection of local farms and artisans.
Small local farms are more likely to use sustainable farming practices and to grow a wider variety of crops. The heirloom seeds that your neighboring farmer grows will remind you what tomatoes (or green beans, potatoes, peppers, and other fruits and vegetables) used to taste like. They will also remind you that there is more than one kind of each, as local farms grow fruits and vegetables that are unique and inspirational to cook with.
Visit any of our markets and find: dozens of local fruit and veggie farmers; local cheeses, meats, and eggs; flowers, herbs, plants and soaps; delicious ready-to-eat baked goods, jams, honey, and lots more.
The markets take place on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the 100 block of Locust Lane. Participating farmers are required to personally produce everything they sell. The markets start outdoors the first week of May and run through the beginning of November. The Friday market moves indoors to the lobby of the State College Borough Municipal Building the first week of December, and is there until the end of April. The Tuesday market is inactive from mid-November to the end of April.
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Bradleys Cheesesteaks & Hoagies 119 S. Pugh Street State College, PA 16801 814-235-9800 Visit Website
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Indoor State College Farmers’ Market 200 block of Allen Street
Fridays 11:30 a.m.to 5:30 p.m
December - May (814) 234-7110 -
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Outdoor State College Farmers Market Locust Lane
Tuesdays and Fridays
May - November (814) 234-7110 -
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Downtown restaurants that use SOME locally sourced ingredients:
- Irving’s (depends on season)
- Mamma Mia’s (some ingredients)
- Big Bowl Noodle (depends on season)
- Yogurt Express (depends on season)
- Allen Street Grill (mushrooms when in season)
- Jimmy John’s (produce from Clarion)
- Gemelli Bakery (ingredients from farmer’s market)
- Uncle Chen’s (about 30% ingredients from local vendors)
- Saint’s Café (muffins)