Watauga County Farmers Market

05/31/2026

Celebrating pollination together reminded us just how connected everything is. 🌱🌸🍯🐝

What begins with flowers reaches much farther than that.

Pollinators help sustain the plants that feed us, the gardens that nourish wildlife, and the landscapes that make this place feel like home. A healthy landscape is something we create together.

Thank you to everyone who joined us to sample local honey, cast a vote in the Bouquet Contest, take home sunflower seedlings, learn about pollinator habitat, support the Daniel Boone Native Gardens, and spend a Saturday morning with us.

We were especially grateful to see so many people slow down, ask questions, share stories, and leave inspired to plant something, grow something, or make a little more room for pollinators where they live.

Thank you to the volunteers, educators, musicians, vendors, and community members who shared their time, knowledge, enthusiasm, and generosity to make the day possible.

And thank you for continuing to show up - for local farmers, local gardens, local businesses, and the tiny pollinators quietly working their magic behind the scenes. 💐🐝✨

05/30/2026

Today’s the day! 🍯💐🐝

Pollination Celebration is in full bloom at the market this morning. Come vote in the Bouquet Contest, sample local honey, pick up a free sunflower seedling to grow for the Master Gardener Kids’ Tallest Sunflower Contest, and help support pollinator habitat through the Daniel Boone Native Gardens.

We’ll be here until noon. Come if it calls to you. 💛

05/29/2026

The market is bursting into bloom 🌸🐝

This time of year, the High Country feels alive with possibility. Gardens are waking up. Fields are filling with flowers. Bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, hummingbirds, and countless other pollinators are busy at work, helping bring the season’s abundance to life.

Join us this Saturday for our annual Pollination Celebration as we honor these small but mighty creatures and the essential role they play in our farms, gardens, and food system.

This Saturday, you’ll find:

• buckets full of fresh flowers, hanging baskets, herbs, native plants, and garden starts ready to find a home in your garden
• the first flavors of the season, from crisp spring vegetables and gourmet mushrooms to artisan breads, pastries, local meats, eggs, cheeses, and handcrafted pantry staples
• beautiful original artwork, woodworking, pottery, jewelry, textiles, soaps, candles and handmade gifts created by local makers
• warm breakfast, fresh coffee, sweet treats, and plenty of reasons to slow down and savor a Saturday morning in Boone ☕️

Plus:

• Vote in the Vendor Bouquet Contest to support the creation of local pollinator habitat 💐
• Free sunflower seedlings for kids contest from the NC Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, Watauga County while supplies last 🌻
• Sample local honey and learn about the fascinating world of honey bees and beekeeping 🍯
• Community art making in the Kids Corner sponsored by Boone Barndog 🎨
• Visit the Daniel Boone Native Gardens booth to learn more about their work and support ongoing conservation, education, and outreach efforts 🌿
• Live music by Rastacoustic 🎶
• Donation Station with Hunger & Health Coalition, Inc.
• SNAP/EBT accepted & doubled up to $75 at the Market Info Booth

🏡 Home to 60+ local farmers and makers

🕕 Saturdays, 8am - 12pm
📍591 Horn in the West Drive, Boone

Whether you come for the flowers, the food, the music, or simply a chance to connect with neighbors, we hope you’ll join us tomorrow morning. 🐝🌸💚

05/28/2026

A welcome rain, busy pollinators, blooming flowers, and a reminder that life flourishes through relationship.

In this week’s Market Musings, we explore the connections that make our food system possible and share what’s in store for Pollination Celebration this Saturday.

Read below 🌼🐝

This one's for the bees, birds, and butterflies.

05/27/2026

Behind the Booth: What the Bees Brought Home at Faith Mountain Farm🎨🐝

For beekeepers, early spring can feel like a race against time.

The first major honey flow of the season depends on a narrow and unpredictable window when blooms, warm temperatures, moisture, and bee activity all align just right. A few cold nights, heavy rains, or extended stretches of wind can dramatically change how much nectar the bees are able to gather during this critical period.

At Faith Mountain Farm, beekeeper James has been closely watching the hives as the bees work the spring blooms now unfolding across the High Country hillsides - blackberry blossoms, black locust, hawthorn, mustard, and countless other flowering trees and plants that arrive in waves through May.

But lately, weather forecasts and bloom progress haven’t been the only things capturing James’ attention.

James has become fascinated by the pollen the bees carry back to the hive, carefully collecting and admiring the tiny pellets dropped by returning foragers. Each color tells the story of a different flower source and a different nutritional profile for the hive. Some are bright golden yellow, others dusty lavender, rust orange, pale cream, or soft green.

Together, they create an astonishing little palette gathered entirely from the landscape.

Pollen serves as one of the primary protein sources for a honey bee colony and is essential for raising brood, supporting immune health, and sustaining the next generation of bees. The diversity of pollen available throughout the season is one of the many reasons diverse ecosystems and abundant flowering plants matter so deeply to pollinator health.

As Pollination Celebration approaches, stories like these remind us just how fragile and fascinating the lives of pollinators truly are - and how protecting and supporting them is ultimately an act of stewardship for the land and the future of our local food systems and communities.

And sometimes, if you look closely enough, even a bee’s pollen basket can become a work of art.✨

05/26/2026

Our 5th Annual Pollination Celebration returns this Saturday 🐝🌼💐

Join us for one of the sweetest mornings of the season with honey tasting, a vendor bouquet contest benefiting new pollinator habitat at Daniel Boone Native Gardens, live music by Rastacoustic, sunflower seedlings for kids, and more pollinator-themed fun throughout the market.

Pollinators play a vital role in our food system, ecosystems, and seasonal abundance, and this celebration is all about honoring and supporting them 💛

See y’all Saturday morning at the market.

05/25/2026

We’re looking for a few passionate individuals to grow with us this market season 🥕

The Watauga County Farmers’ Market is hiring part-time Market Support Team Members to help steward one of Boone’s most beloved community traditions.

This is meaningful, hands-on work supporting local farmers and makers, food access programs, community events, and the welcoming atmosphere that makes the market such a special gathering place each Saturday morning.

If you enjoy working with people, care about local food and community, and thrive in a fast-paced outdoor environment, we’d love to hear from you.

🌱 Part-time seasonal position
🌱 Saturdays starting in June - November
🌱 $14 - 15/hour depending on experience

To apply: Send resume to [email protected]

Full position details linked below. Please help us spread the word by sharing with someone who may be a great fit 💚

https://www.wataugacountyfarmersmarket.org/join-our-team

05/24/2026

There are some mornings where the weather changes everything… and somehow brings out the very best in people 🌈

After months of dry weather, Saturday’s steady rain felt deeply needed. You could see it soaking into the hillsides, pooling across the pavement, and dripping from flower petals and tent lines - the kind of rain gardeners, farmers, and the land itself have been waiting for.

And still, you came.

Umbrellas in every color. Rain boots splashing through puddles. Warm pastries disappearing almost as quickly as they came out of the ovens. Children wandering the market with flowers in hand. Bags and baskets filling up. The sound of rain on tent tops and joyful music carrying through. Neighbors lingering a little longer than expected.

Honestly, we were amazed.

There’s something incredibly moving about watching a community continue to gather even in less-than-perfect conditions - not because it’s convenient, but because this place and these people matter to them.

Thank you to every vendor, musician, staff member, and customer who showed up with patience, openness, and good humor through a full morning of rain.

And to the rain itself: thank you too 🌧️💚

05/23/2026

Rain or shine, the market is here this morning ☔️❤️

Flower bouquets tucked under rain jackets, hot empanadas in hand, neighbors catching up beneath the shelters, and the steady rhythm of a community still showing up for one another.

Come wander with us until 12 PM at Daniel Boone Park 🌳

05/22/2026

Memorial Day weekend at the market always feels like the threshold of summer 🍔🌦️

Even with rain in the forecast, the market has a way of drawing people out - umbrellas in hand, coffee cups warming cold fingers, music echoing off the hillside, and neighbors lingering just a little longer beneath the tents. Some mornings are sunny and bustling. Others are slower, softer, and just as beautiful.

This Saturday, you’ll find:

• garden starts, flowers, herbs, and hanging baskets, thriving in the spring rain
• seasonal vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, every cut of meat for the grill, artisan breads, ferments, cheeses, and pantry staples sourced close to home
• handmade pottery, candles, jewelry, artwork, textiles, soaps, and thoughtfully crafted goods
• ingredients for holiday cookouts, cozy breakfasts, baked treats, and long weekend meals shared with family and friends
• hot breakfast, fresh pastries, warm drinks, and plenty of covered corners to settle into awhile ☕️

Plus:

• Live music by Max’n’Min with Brian McCutchen 🎶
• Youth Makers Market hosted by the Watauga Arts Council in the Kids Corner 🎨
• ASU Community English Project sharing information about free English as a Second Language classes
• Donation Station with F.A.R.M. Cafe 💚
• SNAP/EBT accepted & doubled up to $75 at the Market Info Booth

🏡 Home to 60+ local farmers and makers

🕕 Saturdays, 8am - 12pm
📍591 Horn in the West Drive, Boone

☔️ DOUBLE Punch Day! Market Bunch Club loyalty card holders will receive 2 punches if it rains.

However the weather unfolds, we’ll be here together Saturday morning 🤲